


The Thing Between Love and Hate

by SheLovedTooEasily



Category: Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M, Klaroline, Set after 3x15
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-09-04
Packaged: 2017-12-24 10:41:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 112,280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/939016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheLovedTooEasily/pseuds/SheLovedTooEasily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Love makes no sense, especially not when you feel attracted to the man who is your worst enemy. A man who is supposed to have no heart, no soul. A man who has no humanity left. Or does he?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Bad Guys

**Author's Note:**

> Multi chapter Klaroline story, updates every day.

Big trouble. Two words that perfectly described the situation that I, Caroline Forbes, was in at this very moment. I should start by making this clear; love will never go without trouble. Ever. One moment everything is fine, and the next... Everything is one big disaster. What a horrible thing love was. Always happening at the wrong time. Or even worse; happening with the wrong guy. A bad guy.

Of course, I'd be lying if I said that I hadn't always had a weak spot for bad guys. To be honest, I had dated quite a few of those. But still, there were bad guys, and then there were really bad guys…

Back when I was fifteen, I had dated Dan Johnson. Dan would steal his father's cigarettes, and smoke them at school during lunch breaks. He would skip school in order to avoid important tests. He ate a lot of junk food. Back then, I didn't know any better, and I considered him a true bad guy. As did the rest of the school. Boys wanted to be him, girls wanted to date him. And I was one of the lucky girls who had managed to get his attention. Dating him was pretty cool, until he went a little too far, got kicked out of school, and started working as a mail delivery man. No one has heard of him ever since.

Then a year or so ago, I'd had this thing with Damon Salvatore. Badass vampire with a big mouth and a bad temper. You can see my point; Compared to Damon, Dan Johnson had been nothing but a saint. Both bad guys, but on a whole other level. And yet… Damon Salvatore did have a heart. And as much as I hated to admit it, that heart was probably somewhere in the right place.

The same thing could be said for Tyler Lockwood. Werewolf. Somewhat aggressive at times, not particularly good at sharing his emotions. But nevertheless, a guy capable of love, capable of caring for someone else. Capable of caring for me.

So I guessed that, as long as there was a heart… As long as there at least was some humanity...

Which is exactly the thought that brings us to the most horrible type of bad guy. A man without a heart, without a soul even. A man who didn't even deserve the word 'bad', because it was too nice a word. This man deserved words like 'monster' and 'devil'. Possibly 'jerk', although that one was probably too friendly as well. This was the kind of guy who had tried to kill your friends, your family. The man who had separated you and your boyfriend, by taking away his free will. Someone who had ordered your boyfriend to kill you, but then took it back by saving your life. The Original hybrid who had ruined your life in more than one way. And despite all that, it seemed that he did have this one tiny part of humanity left in him. And whenever he unleashed it on you… You simply couldn't help but feel attracted to him.

The worst part about all this? Even more than you hated him, you hated yourself. You were disgusted with yourself for feeling that way about him, about a man who was your enemy. But there was nothing you could do about it. After all, love could never be controlled. Ever.


	2. Guilt

A small ray of sunlight peeking through my curtains was what woke me up. Every single day I mentally thanked Bonnie for giving me that ring, because the thought of never being able to go out in the sunlight again made me seriously depressed. I yawned, turned around, and checked out the alarm clock on my nightstand. It was almost eleven am. How I loved Saturdays. At least there was no school on top of all the other problems that I usually had to face on a daily basis.

Problems like guilt. The guilt that had been torturing me ever since the night that Esther had tried to kill the entire Original family. I was such an idiot. I actually felt guilty for deceiving Klaus. Even if the reason behind me distracting him was a rather good one; All I'd wanted to do was try and help to save Elena's life. Besides, it seemed so silly that I should feel guilty about lying to Klaus. Klaus of all people! Surely he had killed, terrorized and tortured more people than I could even imagine. If anyone should be drenched with guilt, it was him. But yet, the look on his face when he had realized that I'd been playing him... At first there had only been anger, but when I had looked further, I had also recognized the hurt in his eyes, and even sadness. It made me wonder if he had meant it when he had told me to take a chance. When he had said that he wanted to show me the world, that he wanted to know me, and that I should try and get to know him. Did I even want to get to know him? My brain was screaming 'no, you don't', but my heart was far from agreeing.

I got up, going through the routine of showering and getting dressed, trying to get all those disturbing thoughts out of my head. I went downstairs, where I found my mom sitting at the kitchen table, reading the newspaper. Apparently sheriff Forbes was enjoying a well deserved morning off.

"Good morning, mom." I greeted her as I darted to the fridge to get some milk.

She looked up from the paper and smiled at me. "Morning sweetheart. Did you sleep well?"

"Actually, I did, for the first time in days." I answered as I sat down at the table with her to eat some breakfast.

She sighed, giving me another small smile. "That's no surprise, with everything going on lately. I mean, Bonnie and her mom… And Tyler… Still no word from him?"

"Nope, nothing." I replied a little stiffly, completely focusing on my bowl of cereal, trying to avoid her eyes as she mentioned my boyfriend. Or ex-boyfriend. At this point, I didn't even know what we were anymore. Also thanks to Klaus. That jerk.

I felt how she lightly patted my hand, and I reluctantly glanced up at her. "I'm sure he will come back when he's ready. I believe that he's doing everything in his power to get back together with you. I think he really loves you, you know."

I knew my mom meant well. She was only trying to comfort me, but instead, her words made me feel worse. Another wave of guilt hit me. I had to get out of here.

"Let's hope so." I mumbled, getting up from my chair.

"So, any plans for today?" My mother asked, letting it go and moving on to a lighter subject.

"Yeah, I'm going over to Bonnie's. I want to check how she's handling her mom's transition. Maybe I can help." I informed her. "After all, I've been through it myself."

"That sounds like a good plan. Tell Bonnie I said hi, and if you guys need any help, give me a call." She offered.

"Thanks mom, will do. See you later."

I collected my phone and my car keys before quickly heading out. The weather was exceptionally nice today, and although that seemed a very unimportant detail, it brightened my mood.

It was a short drive to Bonnie's house, and five minutes later I parked my car. As I was about to get out, my phone started to ring. I checked the display. 'Elena calling', it said. I sighed. I knew that Elena was very concerned, but she had to understand that she needed to give Bonnie some room to breathe.

I picked up. "Elena, hi."

"Hey Caroline. Have you seen Bonnie today? She's still not answering any of my calls, and I'm worried."

"I'm about to go over there and check if everything is okay. But really Elena, she needs some space." I said carefully.

Elena sighed. "I know… It's just, she's my friend, Caroline. I feel like I need to help her, even when she doesn't want me to."

"I know, but right now, the best way to help her is to leave her alone for a little while." I insisted.

"I suppose… But if there's anything I can do to help…" She tried again.

"I'll let you know, and I promise I'll keep you posted. I'll send you a message to let you know how it's going, alright?"

"Fine then. Give Bonnie my love." She gave in.

"I will. And I'll talk to you later."

I put away my phone as I swiftly made my way to Bonnie's front door. I knocked, and she answered the door almost immediately. She looked a bit shaken, her eyes wide and weary.

"Bonnie, is everything alright? Is your mom okay?"

She shrugged. "Yes, no… I don't know, I guess. She just woke up." She said warily, lightly grabbing my arm and pulling me inside. She closed the door behind us.

"How did she take the news?" I asked, not beating about the bush.

"She's not excited about the idea of becoming a vampire… But luckily she's even less excited about the idea of dying." Bonnie said, sighing in relief.

I felt a small stab of pain as I followed Bonnie into the living room. This whole situation was all too familiar to me; I had experienced exactly the same thing a few weeks ago, when my dad had been presented with the choice to either die or become a vampire. The only difference was that he had chosen to die. I fought to keep in the tears, clearing my throat and trying to concentrate on the situation at hand, hoping to distract myself.

"So now she has to feed." I stated the obvious. "Do you want me to get you…"

"Not necessary, Damon already took care of that." Bonnie muttered, rolling her eyes.

She held up her hand, and only now I noticed the small translucent bag that she was holding. It contained a red liquid. Human blood.

"I suppose that's Damon's way of saying sorry." I said dryly.

"Yeah, nothing says 'I'm sorry' like a bag of blood." Was her sarcastic reply, making it clear that she was not planning on forgiving Damon anytime soon.

Not that Damon would care, seeing as the only reason that he was trying to set things right was Elena, and the fact that he didn't want Elena to hate his guts. He didn't need Bonnie's forgiveness. On the other hand, Elena did. I just hoped that Bonnie wouldn't be too hard on her. As soon as things had calmed down with Abby, the two of them seriously needed to talk things out.

However for now, Bonnie had to make do with me. So I stayed with her. I helped her as we encouraged her mother to drink the blood. I calmed both of them down while Abby was going through the horrible emotions that were inevitable if we wanted to complete this transition. I had gone through exactly the same thing myself, which made that it wasn't easy to watch. And it was even more painful to imagine that this could have been my father, had he not been so freaking stubborn.

When Abby was feeling somewhat normal again, I decided to give her some rest, and I left the room to go downstairs. Not long after Bonnie followed, slowly shuffling into the living room where I'd been waiting patiently.

She sighed heavily before sitting down next to me on the couch. For a moment we just looked at each other in silence. Bonnie was the one to break it.

"I don't even know how to thank you, Caroline." She said sincerely, her tone filled with gratitude.

"Don't thank me, that's what friends are for." I simply told her, giving her a big hug.

For the first time in hours, she smiled. "Well, thanks anyway."

I returned her smile. I was wondering if this was the time to broach the subject that I needed to talk to her about. I decided that this was as good, or bad, a time as any.

"Hey Bonnie?" I started.

"Yes?"

I took a deep breath. Oh, how it sucked when your two best friends were fighting, and you were the one caught in the middle. "Elena told me to give you her love… She asked how you were doing… I don't want to push you, but I do think you guys need to talk."

To my huge relief, Bonnie slowly nodded. "Yes, I know."

"You do?" I blurted out, a bit surprised that she was reacting so well.

"Yeah… It's just I had so much to deal with… I didn't feel like facing Elena these last couple of days, but I understand that this is not truly her fault. I mean, indirectly it is… But then, she's always been there for me. She was also the one coming with me when I went to visit my mother for the first time. She's not to blame." Bonnie said.

I relaxed immediately. "I'm glad you feel that way, I hate it when you guys are fighting."

"Me too." She agreed easily. "I'll talk to her tomorrow."

"That's great. Besides, we have the whole 'divide and conquer-thing' to keep in mind. I mean, there's still a murderer on the loose, and we also don't know what…" I hesitated to say his name. "Klaus… his next big plan is."

"That's true. For now it's wise to stick together. Although we can't be sure that said murderer isn't Klaus to begin with." Bonnie mused.

"I don't think that these mysterious killings are his doing." I voiced my thoughts a little too quickly.

Bonnie raised her eyebrows, giving me a questioning look.

The truth was, this was something that I had been thinking about constantly, ever since that night when Klaus had invited me to go to that stupid ball with him. And without being biased, I didn't think that those attacks were his style.

"Think about it, Bonnie. Klaus is arrogant, full of himself, he has killed millions of people in his… existence. When he kills someone, he's not going to be all mysterious about it. He will probably even rub it in our faces. He sure as hell won't try to keep it a secret." I explained my theory.

"That's a valid argument." She had to admit.

I shrugged. "That's just what I think, I might be wrong."

But part of me was hoping that I was right. Because if Klaus was behind all of these weird murder cases… It would mean that one of his victims had been my father. I didn't even want to consider that.

"Well, no matter who it is, sticking together seems like a good plan to begin with." I said, closing this particular topic called 'Klaus'.

We talked some more, until we heard footsteps coming down the stairs. A few seconds later Abby Bennett entered the room, looking much better than she had in days. Bonnie smiled lightly at the sight of her mother looking rather decent again.

"Abby, hey… How are you feeling?" I asked.

"A bit like myself again, finally." She said quietly. "Thank you. Both of you." She added.

"You're more than welcome." I assured her as I got up from the couch.

"Are you leaving?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes, I'll be going now. I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do. But call me if you need anything."

I gave Bonnie one last hug and said my goodbye to Abby, before slowly making my way out the backdoor. As soon as I slammed the door of my car shut, I recalled that I had promised Elena that I would send her a text to let her know that all was well. I pulled my phone out of my pocket to send her a short message before I would drive back home.

'Both Bonnie and her mom are fine. The transition went as well as could have been expected. Bonnie will come around, she told me she will talk to you tomorrow. x Caroline.'

I had only just hit the 'send' button and was about to put away my phone, when it started beeping. Damn, that Elena sure was fast when it came to the art of texting. But when I checked the screen, I saw a number that I didn't recognize. I frowned, opening it anyway.

Had my heart still been beating, it certainly would have skipped several beats as I read the message. It was short. It was clear. I was doomed.

'Hello, Caroline. I believe you owe me an apology. Klaus.'

Oh god… Seriously?


	3. Invitations

I succeeded at persistently ignoring his text message. I resisted him like the strong, independent woman that I was. For about ten whole minutes. What a record. After those ten crucial minutes, I knew one thing for sure… In the end, I wouldn't be strong enough to ignore that jerk of a hybrid. If only because that unexplained, irrational feeling of guilt was still present. I knew myself quite well; Sooner or later I would crack like an egg, and I would react to his text. So why not get it over with right away?

The second I got home I sprinted upstairs, to the safety of my room. I didn't even bother to check if my mom was around somewhere. I fell down onto my bed, contemplating what my next step would be. What sort of message did one send to the Original hybrid who terrorized your entire home town, but who also claimed that he 'fancied you'. (His words, not mine.)

I considered my options. I could either A) Tell him to get lost and stop being such a stalker. B) Tell him that I was sorry, the goal being that I at least could stop feeling guilty. Or C) Tell him that if he wanted me to apologize, he would have to do some apologizing of his own first.

I failed to make a decision. But thankfully, there was always good old D) All of the above.

'I'm not proud of what I did the other day, and I do feel kind of sorry. But it's absolutely nothing compared to all the things that you've been doing ever since you came here. If anyone should apologize, it's you. But seeing as that's never going to happen, I suggest that we call it even. Also, please stop bothering me. Caroline.'

I was rereading my pitiful excuse for a message, when my thumb accidentally touched the 'send' button.

"Oh no!" I squeaked, horrified.

Splendid. To him this would sound like a ten year old who was incapable of making up her mind. Just perfect. Strong and independent Caroline Forbes, also known as sender of the most pathetic text message in the history of mankind. Klaus would be so impressed. Not.

I groaned, putting my head in my hands. I was such a loser. I was nowhere near done wallowing in shame, when my phone made that dreaded beeping sound again. By now, I was starting to feel nauseous.

'That wasn't very convincing, love. Perhaps we should discuss this in person to clear some things up. Consider this my invitation for you to come over to my place so we can have a talk. Tonight around eight will be just lovely.'

I was shocked. "The nerve of that guy!" I muttered to no one but myself. He bluntly assumed that I would accept his invitation. As if!

My next message was short and clear. And definitely a lot more impressive than the first one. Or at least I liked to think so.

'No thanks. If it's alright with you, I would like to stay alive.'

Again, Klaus didn't make me wait.

'I don't want to hurt you, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to save your life. It would have been so easy to let you die... I'll see you tonight at eight.'

He strikes… and he scores. And the crowd goes wild. And there was another thing going wild, namely my stomach. Why the hell did he have to mention the night when he had turned my entire world upside down? Why did he have to play the I-saved-your-life card? He was fighting dirty. And winning. And I was already thinking about what on earth I was going to wear tonight.

-xxx-

It was almost seven. I was running out of time, and yet I was still standing in front of my closet, staring at all the clothes that I didn't want to wear. I squinted a little, as if hoping that some suitable outfit would miraculously pop out of nowhere if I concentrated hard enough.

Vampires, witches, werewolves… They had all turned out to be real. But where was the fairy godmother when you so desperately needed one?

Now normally, when going through a clothing crisis as serious as this one, I would call Bonnie or Elena, and ask for some help. Unfortunately, that was not an option in this case. Surely they would want to know for which particular event I needed their advice… It wasn't a smart plan to tell this to anyone, not even my two best friends.

There were some things in life that you couldn't share with your BFF's, no matter how much you loved them. Things like 'I accidently ran over your dog', or 'I can't help but having a huge crush on your boyfriend'. No friendship was strong enough to survive aforementioned matters. Some things were simply not done. And that also applied to something like 'I think I have feelings for the guy we've been trying to kill for the past three months or so, and who has also tried to kill us on numerous occasions'.

"Alright! Focus Caroline!" I told myself out loud. "What am I looking for?"

Another riddle that was impossible to solve. What was I looking for? An outfit that said something along the lines of… 'You're a horrible person, so I don't need you to approve of my looks, but at the same time, I totally want you to like my outfit'.

I gave up. This was bound to fail.

-xxx-

I ended up picking a dress that was elegant but simple. Nothing too fancy, but nice enough. The dress was blue, since I suspected that he liked that color on me. Not that I cared. Hell no, I didn't care.

At eight sharp, I was standing in front of the giant mansion that Klaus called home. I was cool and collected. I felt no fear whatsoever. I didn't even feel slightly nervous. Oh, who was I trying to fool? My legs were shaking so violently that I regretted wearing high heels.

"Come on, Caroline! Get yourself together… All he wants is to have a civilized conversation." I tried to calm myself down as I reluctantly walked up to the large front door.

There was no going back now. My shaking finger pressed the doorbell, and the door opened before I even had time to consider turning around and running for the hills.

And there he was, looking more handsome than anyone had a right to. Life could be so cruel. I'd say it would only be fair for him to have an exterior that matched his deeply disturbed insides. Even more, when I had seen him for the very first time, I had never in a million years expected him to look like this. During the few months that we all had been dreadfully anticipating Klaus' arrival, I had automatically pictured him as a creepy old guy with bad breath. Back then, he had merely been a threat hanging over our heads, and I had never guessed that he would look so… human. How wrong I had been. His eyes were a sparkling, light blue, looking straight into your soul. His messy hair was the darkest shade of gold. And his face… I stopped my thoughts right there, seeing as his voice was interrupting them.

"Hello, Caroline. I'm honored that you decided to accept my invitation after all." He greeted me. His smile was friendly enough, but I knew perfectly well what was hiding underneath.

"I wish I could say the same." Was my cool reply. To my own pleasant surprise, my voice was steady.

"See, there it is again… Always so honest. That's what I like most about you, you know." He mused.

I merely raised both my eyebrows at him, but his smile stayed in place.

"Well come in, let's not waste our precious time together." Klaus said, stepping aside and gesturing for me to step into the hallway. "You look stunning, by the way."

I ignored his last comment, pretending that it didn't make my heart swell. Instinctively I scanned the room, afraid that I would come across any more Originals.

"We're alone." Klaus said, as if reading my mind. "They all have left. Except for my sister Rebekah, but she had other business to attend to, so it's just us tonight."

"Great." I muttered, not trying to hide my sarcasm.

I thought I heard him chuckle. "Come with me." He said, leading the way.

I followed him into a spacious living room. The interior was antique but tasteful. There was a fireplace, but it wasn't burning; no need for it with this kind of weather. Enormous windows were looking out on a garden that was beautifully decorated.

"Care to join me for a drink, love?" He offered.

Was that a trick question? What kind of drink did he mean? Was he even aware that I didn't drink human blood? Or even worse, did he have live food walking around here? I nervously bit my lip.

He laughed lightly, again guessing my thoughts. "I meant some alcohol to lighten things up a bit."

I let out a relieved breath. "Oh… Sure, I guess."

I could definitely use something to calm me down. It was easy enough to stand up to Klaus when we were at a public place, but now that it was just the two of us... He intimidated me, big time.

He poured us both a drink, walking over to me and offering me one of the glasses. "Why don't we sit down?" He proposed.

I silently complied, following his example as he sat down on the dark leather couch. I made sure to sit as for from him as possible.

He curiously raised an eyebrow at me. "I don't bite." His voice was gentle, as was his face. But that didn't put my mind at ease. It merely made me worry about whatever it was that was seething below the surface.

"I'm counting on that. After all, you said that you wouldn't hurt me." I reminded him.

"So I did." He confirmed.

"And if I remember correctly, you wanted to talk to clear some things up. So talk." I continued, all business. My hands were clinging to the glass that I was holding, as if seeking support.

"Oh, don't be like that, all in good time." He said, acting like he was truly offended that I wanted to skip the small talk.

I took a small sip from my drink, hoping to get some courage from it. "I mean it, what is it you think needs clearing up? That's the only reason I'm here, not because I enjoy being around you so much." I pushed.

He sighed, slowly shaking his head. His expression was somewhere between sad and defeated. "You see me as nothing other than a monster, is that right?"

His sea blue eyes were boring into mine as he waited for my reaction to his statement. What did he want me to say to that? Was there even a right answer to that question? But then, he always claimed that he appreciated my honesty so much...

"Yes." I stated. "Can you blame me?"

"Yes. And no." He said calmly, looking down at his glass for an instant.

"Explain." I demanded.

He glanced up at me. "You're a clever girl, I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase 'It's nothing personal, it's just business'."

I gave him an incredulous look. Was he implying that I should simply look past the fact that he had been chasing after my friends for god knows how long? Did he want me to ignore the problems that he had caused for Tyler and me? Ignore all the damage that he had caused with his army of hybrids?

"You can't be serious." I managed to choke out. "You don't even regret any of the things you've done! And now you're asking me to be okay with them as well? Are you suggesting that this tiny human part that you're showing me every once in a while should be enough for me?"

"Why not?" He asked. This whole calm, innocent act was starting to annoy me. "Sometimes Caroline, people get in the way of my plans, and I will have to stop them. Nothing personal, just business."

I was appalled. "You're sick! You can't expect me to look past all the horrible things you've done! Not if you're planning to go on with your life the same way you always have!" I exclaimed.

Klaus rolled his eyes at me. They were a darker shade of blue now. "Then what did you expect, that I would be filled with remorse all of the sudden?"

"No! Well, actually yes! You want me to apologize for something as innocent as distracting you the other night, but you yourself are unwilling to apologize for killing and torturing people! People who are close to me! And heaven knows how many other innocents!" I ranted as I got up from the couch, heavily waving my arms in agitation.

Klaus also got up, and before I could move away, he lightly grabbed one of my wrists, effectively shutting me up without even saying a word to me. There was a long silence, during which we were simply staring at each other, his eyes locked with mine. He was the first one to speak.

"Look Caroline, all I'm saying is, we mustn't let all this get in the way of… something that might be absolutely wonderful." His tone was uncharacteristically soft and vulnerable, his accent heavy.

"And why mustn't we?" I mimicked his accent, cocking an eyebrow at him. I was very much aware of his smooth hand still holding my wrist, keeping me in place.

He appeared to be deep in thought for a split second.

"Well?" I urged. "Tell me! What makes you believe that I will ever be able to put aside all the evil that you've done?"

He blinked slowly, before intently staring at me as if the answer was written somewhere on my face.

"Because you're here." He finally spoke. "You're here, without me forcing you. You chose to come here, all on your own." He sounded genuinely astonished now. "So that must mean… That you believe that there's still hope for me…"

He never failed to render me speechless. Ever.


	4. Offer

Eventually, I found my voice. Let's be real; It would take something major to shut Caroline Forbes up permanently. Klaus was still gazing intently at me, but I wasn't going to let that discourage me.

"I don't know." I said truthfully. "I don't know if there's any hope left. Do you?"

He remained silent, but he never stopped looking at me. He might as well have been at a museum, investigating a very interesting piece of art.

"I mean, I truly believed you when you told me that you wanted to show me the world… When you told me that you wanted to know about my hopes and dreams…" I continued, a little unsure.

"I do want to know about your hopes and dreams…" His voice was barely a whisper.

I took a brief moment to think about what I was going to tell him; It didn't take me long to figure that out. I knew exactly what my hopes and dreams were... At this very moment, I realized that they were non-existing, most of them effectively crushed because of his doing.

"You do, huh? You want to talk about hopes and dreams? Because honestly Klaus, I don't have any of those left. You want to know why?" I snapped, at the same time using a sharp tug to free my arm from his gentle but solid grasp.

By now, I had half expected him to lose his patience and get mad. Or get irritated at the very least. But his only response was an almost invisible nod, indicating that he wanted me to proceed.

"Fine then, you're such a big fan of honesty, so prepare for it… I don't even bother to make plans for the future, because for all I know there might not even be a future for me. Every stinking day I'm either trying to save someone's life, or running from something. Not to mention fighting for my own life! To me, it's never a given that I will live to see a new day. And when I do, I can only pray that my friends will also still be there with me. That my mom will still be alive as well… Ever since you came here, I've been on edge and restless, constantly on my guard… I can't even recall the last time that I felt safe, or even peaceful." I couldn't stop myself. This had been nagging me for ages, and it felt good to let it all out. Besides, he had asked for it.

He patiently listened as I directed my rant at him. Once I was quiet -and out of breath, I might add- he cleared his throat, only to say the most illogical thing imaginable.

"That's precisely the reason why you're in need of my help."

I glanced suspiciously at him. "You're joking, right?"

"I don't really joke, Caroline." He replied dryly.

I was at a loss why, but it made me let out a short, rather hysterical laugh. It must have been the nerves.

Klaus didn't say anything, but I noticed that the corners of his mouth were slowly turning up.

"Yeah, that was not funny." I muttered, heat rising to my cheeks.

"Oh, I don't mind, I love the sound of your laugh."

"Whatever." I mumbled. He had to take it easy on the compliments, because all of his charming words were making it hard for me to focus on the fact that he was still a vicious hybrid.

"I mean it, your laugh reminds me of the sweetest music." Klaus insisted. "But all crazy things aside, you could use my help. I can give you back some of your hopes and dreams. I can offer you an opportunity to pursue new ones..."

"And how are you planning to do that?" I asked skeptically, rolling my eyes at him.

He leaned closer to me, and I could feel his warm breath on my face. Note to self: No bad breath. No bad scent at all. He actually smelled nice, alluring, inviting.

"Choose me, Caroline." He said, voice husky, eyes intense.

"I… I beg your pardon?" I stuttered.

"Be with me, and I will make sure that you'll get the life that you deserve. I'll take you wherever you want to go, give you whatever you need in order to find happiness. Every day, I'll give you plenty of reasons to show me that delightful smile of yours more often."

"W-what?" I said, too shocked to process everything that he was offering. And yet… Unable to keep myself from painting images in my mind, images of all the promises that he was making right here and now.

"Stay with me, and I'll guarantee you that no harm will ever come to you. I'll personally take care of anyone who wants to prevent you from seeing another day. You will have nothing to fear when you're under my protection. All I want in return, is your undying loyalty to me." He clarified.

I was trapped in his gaze. I knew that he was a murderer, a psycho, a heartless person… But his eyes were burning with sincerity as he promised me the world.

"You- you can't just go and say things like that." I protested lightly, voice shaking.

"I can do whatever pleases me, love. You see that's the fun part of being me." He stated confidentially, smirking ever so slightly.

I didn't know whether to be annoyed or relieved that arrogant Klaus was back.

I stepped away from him, shaking my head. "No… I should stay away from you… You should stay away from me…" I failed to make it sound like a warning.

"I should stay away from you? Or what?" Klaus challenged, taking a step forward, closing the distance that I had created between us. "I'm pretty much invincible, love."

"You're pretty much a scumbag!" I retorted, again taking a step backwards.

This time he didn't follow, and I took my chance to turn around and walk away. I headed directly for the exit. I had to get out of this place, there was no point in me staying here. All of this made no sense. This… thing between me and Klaus, it could never work out, I could see that now.

"Oh, come on Caroline." He called after me. "Don't ruin it now."

"Stay away from me." I warned again. I picked up the pace, and reached the front door. I yanked it open, ready to leave.

Klaus was an Original vampire, as old as the earth itself… Well, not literally that old, but let's say that he had been around a long time, and that he was seriously powerful. He could have stopped me in a heartbeat, had he wanted to… But he didn't. He allowed me to leave. He did one last attempt to convince me though, but he used words, not violence.

"Caroline… wait."

I froze on the porch steps, unwillingly turning around and facing him. He was standing in the doorway, keeping a reasonable distance.

"What?" I replied curtly.

Klaus melted my insides by giving me a devilishly handsome smile. "I want you to keep in mind that my offer stands."

"What offer?" I asked, already distracted by his smile.

The smile disappeared, leaving a blank expression on his attractive face. "The offer that I made you just now. You can always decide to choose me. Think about it."

I sighed deeply. God, this guy didn't give up, did he? He was like the latest fashion trend, the one that designers were trying to force on you, even though you thought you looked silly in it. Regardless, by the end of the season, after much resistance, you were going to wear it anyway. Because when looking a bit further, there was something about said trend that wasn't quite so horrible after all.

"Give me one good reason why I should even consider it." I said, curious to hear what he had to say for himself.

"The reason?" He repeated slowly. "For centuries, the only emotions leading me, have been anger and hatred. Until you came along… Whatever it is that you're making me feel right now… It's truly refreshing, and I would be a fool to let it go so easily."

I was running out of snide remarks. This man sure had a way with words. I couldn't speak. Whatever I would say, it would be completely insignificant. He had won this round, but I wasn't going to let him in on that.

"I'm sorry, I can't do this…" I said softly, knowing that his excellent hearing would make sure that he would catch my words anyway. "I can't be with you, Klaus."

I turned around, swiftly walking in the general direction of my car.

He called after me one last time. "If you truly believe that there's no chance for us, I won't put up a fight. However, if you have even the tiniest doubt… You know where to find me."

I slammed the door of my car shut with a lot of unnecessary force. I tried to even out my breathing before turning the key in the ignition. The rumbling sound of my car chased away the eerie silence. I took a last peek at Klaus' mansion, but he had gone back inside.

I felt the urge to slap myself as I drove off. I was in big trouble. And I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to keep my defenses up for much longer…

-xxx-

The minute I got home, I realized that I needed to shake out all of my disturbing thoughts. I felt anxious, agitated. Surely sleeping would be out of the question tonight. Lucky for me, I knew exactly the place where I could lose some of my restless energy…

The quiet forest of Mystic Falls; A great place to clear your head and sort out your thoughts. Aside from that, this was the place where I went whenever I needed a drink. The bloody kind of drink. Not human blood of course, I made do with animal blood.

Months ago, just after my transition, Stefan Salvatore had learned me that there were ways to be a good vampire. The irony was not lost on me; As it was, Stefan was the one killing humans on a daily basis. I shuddered as it occurred to me that this had also been Klaus his doing. Stefan had tried so hard to be a good person, and he had been so close to succeeding…

Before Klaus had turned Stefan into a terrible monster by compelling him, Stefan and I had been on very good terms. We were both on the same diet, and we frequently went out for a drink together. It was always so easy to talk to Stefan, because he was such a calm and understanding person. Or he used to be. Everything was different now; Another thing that Klaus had ruined for me.

I made my way through the forest, not hurrying the way I usually did, instead taking some time to come to my senses. The sound of birds was the only thing interrupting the silence occasionally, which made this the perfect place to reflect on my problems. Or the perfect place to get paranoid… All of the sudden I was under the impression that someone was watching me. Or following me even.

I swiftly checked my surroundings, but I didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Maybe I was just going crazy. In my defense, it would take a less deranged place than Mystic Falls to get a person paranoid. I was about to resume my little hunt for sanity, when I heard a twig snap behind me. For a second I feared that Klaus had followed me, like the true stalker he was…

Genuine surprise must have showed on my face as I briskly turned around and came face to face with Stefan. Speak of the devil.

"Stefan… It's you… Hi." I greeted him awkwardly. As it was, I didn't really know how to react to him, or what to expect from him.

"Hey, Caroline." He replied, somewhat unsure.

I frowned at him in confusion. Whenever I had seen him lately, he had mostly been cold, detached and indifferent. Just now, he had sounded uncertain, and he was practically looking ashamed. It seemed a very drastic change.

"Are you… Okay?" I checked cautiously.

He avoided my question. Instead, he asked one of his own. "How about you? Still hunting bunnies, huh?" He tried to smile.

"As a matter of fact, yes. You know I used to have this friend who convinced me to try this way of life. He shared this fairly interesting theory with me... He said that, just because you've been turned into a vampire, doesn't mean that you have to be a monster." I answered, my tone light. There had been no hostility from his side, and I didn't feel like fighting anyway.

His smile seemed to grow a bit wider. "Is that so?" He played along.

I managed to produce a tiny smile as well. "Yeah… He was the one who kept me from going insane when I was a newborn vampire, and so I'm trying to stick to the diet that he introduced me to. This may sound cheesy, but I guess that he made me a better vampire."

Stefan shook his head. "You did that all on your own, Caroline. It takes a lot of willpower for a newborn vampire to resist human blood. I merely handed you the tools, and a bit of support maybe."

I shrugged. "Whatever you did, I'm glad that you did it. Without your help, I don't know where I would be right now."

"Well, then I'm honored that you feel that way." He said, making a small bow.

I cracked a smile.

"Actually, I'm glad that you're still speaking to me after all that's happened lately." He said, turning serious again. "Because this time… I think it's me who's in need of your help."

Immediately, alarm bells started ringing in my head. My help with what? His next master plan to eliminate Klaus? For obvious reasons, I would really prefer to stay out of that, thank you very much.

"Why do you need my help?"

He swallowed loudly, momentarily hesitating. "Ironically enough, I need you to help me stick to the diet."

My jaw dropped literally. "For real? How long have you been clean?" I asked, half shocked, half excited.

"You remember the night when I tried to drive Elena off that bridge?" He asked, pain crossing his facial features as he mentioned this particular event.

"Yes…" I whispered, understanding what he was saying. "You haven't had a drink ever since."

"No, not a drop of human blood." He confirmed.

"Who else knows?"

"Just Damon, he figured it out by himself. But as you can imagine, he's not such a great help when it comes to me sticking to my special diet." Stefan said, making a face as he mentioned his brother.

I snorted, shaking my head. "I suppose not. In fact, he might even try to sabotage you."

"That's not unlikely. But you, on the other hand… You're exactly the person to help me with this. That is if you still want to… I mean after…" He trailed off suggestively.

"After your short detour? We all fall down, you know." I comforted him, letting him know that I was willing to forgive him. After all, he was not a bad person. The fact that he was trying to go back to who he used be, despite the dark place that he had been in since Klaus had forced him to come along, was more than enough proof for me.

"Thank you…" He said sincerely. "So… What do you say? Will you help me?"

I grinned at him. "I say; Let's hunt bunnies!"


	5. Temptations

Talking to my bunny-hunting-buddy was definitely pleasant. Catching up with him was a great distraction. When we were about to say our goodbyes, I felt considerably more at ease. For the first time in days, Klaus was not the most prominent thought on my mind. How nice that was for a change.

"So… Whenever I feel like making the wrong choices… You'll make sure to… keep me on track, right?" Stefan verified as we were standing at the edge of the forest.

"You bet. But you know, I don't think I'll have to. You're strong." I figured that the best way to encourage him, was by letting him know that I had faith in him.

"We'll see… Oh and, please don't tell anyone yet. Especially Elena." Stefan requested. "I don't want to…" He didn't finish his sentence.

"Give her false hope?" I guessed.

"Exactly. I want to find out for myself where all of this is going before I want any part in Elena's life again."

I smiled. "I get it. Don't worry, we will bring the old Stefan back. I promise."

Stefan's face was troubled, but I could also see some hope there. "You're a better friend than I deserve. I mean after Klaus… I didn't think that I would ever be able to go back again."

My stomach turned, without a warning. Simply hearing his name was all it took for me to lose my state of tranquility. Out of the blue, this conversation had gone from a nice chat between two old friends, into a talk about the one subject that I so desperately wanted to avoid. Why did Stefan have to go and bring him up? Seriously! Thanks a lot, pal!

I inhaled sharply before speaking, attempting not to show my sudden uneasiness. "Yeah… That whole thing with Klaus… It must have been horrible for you."

"I've had better periods in my life." Stefan agreed. "Then again, I've also had worse… Surprisingly, I found out quite a lot about myself, during the few weeks that I was forced to spend with Klaus."

"What do you mean?" I pried, curious now.

Stefan's frown was heavy, his lips turning into a tight line before he enlightened me. "I found out that there was a time when Klaus and I used to be friends…"

I was gobsmacked. I was flabbergasted. I was… running out of cool words in the English language to describe how shocked I truly was.

"Friends?" I exclaimed. "You were friends with Klaus?"

"It was a very long time ago. But yes, I'm afraid so."

"Oh my god. Wait… How come you didn't remember something as important as that?" I asked in disbelief.

Stefan merely raised his eyebrows, suggesting that I could figure this one out on my own. And he was right, it was obvious really.

"He made you forget. He compelled you." I concluded.

He gave me a sour smile, indicating that I was right.

"That's… I don't even know what to say. Some friend, huh?" I muttered.

Stefan laughed without humor. "I've had better friends… But Klaus… I also found out more about him. Aside from being a psychopathic murderer, I think he's extremely lonely."

"How can you tell?" I asked right away. He had captured my interest. If there was even the smallest possibility that there were human sides to Klaus, I had to know. Mainly because I felt like a lunatic for blindly falling for a soulless monster like him.

"Think about it. All the trouble he went through, only because he wanted an army of hybrids… It doesn't make any sense."

"It doesn't?" I wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"No… I mean, let's say, theoretically, that Klaus had left us in peace... We never would have bothered to confront him, I'm positive about that. As it is, we're defending ourselves because it was him making the choice to attack us. It would never have crossed our minds to attack him without a cause." Stefan explained.

"I suppose it would've been plain stupid to provoke him… To provoke any of the Originals." I noted.

"Yes! And the same goes for all of his other enemies. Everyone knows that he's as close to invincibility as anyone will ever get… It would be pure suicide to voluntarily pick a fight with him! Why would anyone do that?" Stefan said, emphasizing his point.

"I see what you mean… He was trying to surround himself by a bunch of hybrids, hoping that he would be able to relate to them. He wanted there to be more hybrids, because he was tired of being the only one of his kind in the entire world. He hoped that after all this time, someone would understand him..." My words were coming out a bit rushed, seeing as I realized how very true they were.

"That's what I think anyway." Stefan said, letting me know that he agreed. "I think that's also the reason why he made that deal that forced me to choose his side… He was thinking back to old times, remembering that he used to have a comrade to whom he could talk. A person who shared his ideas and believes."

I sighed as it started to sink in that this conversation was only confusing me more.

"Klaus is one complicated case, that's for sure." Was Stefan's short summary on everything that we'd just discussed.

"Well… No matter what, he's still a monster…" My reply came out as a question, not a statement.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, he is. All I'm saying is that I can understand some of his motives now." Stefan clarified. "But let's not dwell on that. We're trying to move forward now, right?" He added, his tone less serious now.

"Right." I repeated, smiling weakly. "Let's look to the future, not the past. We are going to regain your humanity…"

-xxx-

Exhaustion took me over as I entered my bedroom. My mind was still troubled, but this time I felt so worn-out that I was confident that I would fall asleep before my head could even hit the pillow…

That was until I found a roll of paper, lying on my bed. A deep blue ribbon was tied around it. There was no need to guess who had left me this little present.

"Seriously…" I groaned out loud. "Give it a rest, dude."

The right thing to do, would be to throw it in my trash can, and forget all about it… And yet I found myself unrolling the damned piece of paper. It was a sketch, as was to be expected. A blonde girl was the main subject of the drawing, but her surroundings were intriguing as well. I could make out the Eiffel Tower… The city of Paris. Apart from the drawing, there were also a few words in his neat handwriting.

'You could have it all. Think about it. Klaus.'

How could one man be this tempting? I was about an inch from losing this battle…

-xxx-

That night I tossed and turned, unable to catch any sleep since a certain hybrid was dominating my thoughts. Whenever I did slip into unconsciousness for a short amount of time, Klaus was there as well, haunting my dreams.

When waking up in the morning, I felt like a total wreck. I didn't even feel like getting up and starting a new day, but what other choice did I have? Thoughts were rushing through my mind as I reluctantly got out of bed in order to take a shower. A nice hot shower could be a true lifesaver sometimes. Not today, though. On the contrary; The hot water did nothing to calm me down.

No matter how much I wanted to deny it, Klaus had opened up my eyes. He was saying all the right things, relentlessly using all my weaknesses to get under my skin. His offers were far beyond tempting…

I had thought it through, over and over again, and I had discovered that there were some facts that I simply couldn't ignore. For one, I had an eternity in front of me. Forever was a long time. Was I going to spend the rest of my existence in this godforsaken town? Was I willing to always be the weakest link? Did I want to be presented with the same decision almost every freaking day, namely whether I was going to fight or flight?

Accepting Klaus' offer was out of the question… Yet at the same time, turning him down was starting to get seriously challenging. I had to be strong. Giving in would be the end of me. I would lose my life, my family and friends… Everything. I had to stay rational. Someone like Klaus couldn't be worth it… I would be an idiot to give up everything just to be with him.

I got dressed. I did my make-up. I refused to look at a certain sketch that was lying on the floor next to my bed. Don't give in, Caroline. He doesn't even care about you. Surely he's just trying to get you on his side so that he can use you for his own personal gain… I kept chanting the words in my head, but they failed to do their job…

Lord knows what drove me to do what I did next. Perhaps I was possessed. Or maybe Klaus had compelled me without me noticing. Whatever it was, I grabbed my phone from the night stand. I went through my messages, tracking down his number. The voice in my head -the one that would normally stop me whenever I was about to do something reckless or stupid- was absent. I needed someone who could protect me from myself. Unfortunately, I couldn't trust anyone with the truth, which made that there was no one to help me out.

The message was composed before my brain had even registered that my fingers were typing.

'We need to talk. Caroline.'

I hit 'send'.

My mind was blank, empty. I hadn't the faintest idea why I had made the terrible mistake of contacting him. A significant part of me was hoping that he would completely ignore my text, allowing me to forget about what I'd just done. However, I knew that it was highly unlikely that I would get away with this one. There was no time for regrets, for when I descended the stairs, I already heard that familiar noise that made me both excited and scared. I checked the screen. 'One new message', it said.

'I'd love to talk some more, I do enjoy our little chats. I will pick a convenient time and place, and then I'll get back to you. Klaus.'

"I'll get back to you? Unbelievable! Arrogant bastard much?" I muttered in disbelief.

Not in a million years would I admit that I was sort of thrilled that he had responded so soon, and that he did agree to seeing me. Aside from excitement, there also was a healthy dose of fear. I had told him that I needed to talk to him, but what on earth was I going to say? 'Hi there! I hate you. In fact, I find you repulsive. You're a monster. But that doesn't stop me from having feelings for you.'

I had no clue what was going on between him and me, let alone that I could talk to him about it! This was insane. There was only one thing left that could save me now. A time machine, so I could stop myself from sending that message. I was toast.

My phone beeped again, nearly throwing me into another panic attack. There was a wave of immense relief when the screen showed Elena's name. She was begging me to come over, claiming that she needed a break from being torn between the Salvatore brothers. I needed some serious girl-time myself, so I gladly complied. A quiet, lazy Sunday involving no males was something every girl could use every so often.

-xxx-

It turned out that Elena had invited Bonnie as well, and the three of us made the most of our day off from the male species. I was happy that Elena and Bonnie had talked things out; I was in no mood for drama. Watching girly movies never got old, and the same could be said for gossiping and ordering pizza.

Time went by fast, so when I left Elena's place, it was already dark outside. I came home to an empty house; My mom had left a note on the kitchen table, telling me that she was working late again.

So it was just me. The two things keeping me company were silence and darkness. There was too much room to think. My thoughts wandered back to Klaus. I hadn't heard anything from him since that last message, and I was still undecided as to whether that bothered me or not.

I watched some TV, but quickly gave up on that when I realized that I was unable to concentrate. I turned off the television, violently throwing the remote on the table to let out some of my frustrations.

"Whatever." I grumbled.

Going to bed early seemed like a very appealing option to me. Catching up on some sleep couldn't hurt, and escaping reality for a while was a great bonus. I stumbled up the stairs, my thoughts miles away.

The instant I flicked the switch to turn on the lights in my gloomy bedroom, I stopped breathing. I might have screamed too, but I was too shocked to be sure about that. There he was, standing in the middle of my room like it was the most natural thing in the world. In his hand was the drawing that he had given me the other day.

"Klaus… What are you doing here?" I demanded sternly as I grabbed the door for support.

He smiled serenely, not at all impressed by the angry glare that I was shooting him. "I decided that this was a convenient time and place. So how about you and I have that talk?"


	6. Understanding

All I could do was gape at him. I had to give it to the guy; He had some serious guts. Then again, he was practically invincible, so he could afford to have some guts. I didn't know how long we were standing like that; Unmoving, unblinking. This wasn't the first time that he had accessed my room without my permission, but this visit was every bit as surreal as the first one had been. There was a major difference though… Back then, I had been dying.

"You're… Breaking and entering." I accused halfheartedly, ending the silence.

Klaus laughed, clearly amused. "Am I, now? Tell me something I don't know, love."

"I wouldn't know where to start." I retorted without thinking.

Again he laughed. "Technically, I was invited…"

"Technically, you invited yourself." I pointed out. "I only hinted that I wanted to talk to you, I don't recall mentioning that I'm okay with you bursting into my room whenever you feel like it."

He remained unfazed, not at all minding my unfriendly attitude towards him. I had assumed that he would give me a reply that was equally hostile, but instead he presented me with a charming smile. "Oh come on, don't be too hard on me." He said casually.

"You're unbelievable." I uttered tiredly.

He shrugged. "I will take that as a compliment."

I suppressed the urge to let out a frustrated growl.

"But let's get to the point. You wanted to see me. I'm here, so what is it that you want to discuss with me?" He prompted, feigning innocence. As if he didn't know that he was driving me crazy.

"I… I just…" Was the brilliant response that left my mouth.

"Don't be shy. It's just me." He encouraged me with an uneven smile, acting as if we were the best of friends.

A dirty look was all I could come up with.

"I mean it, Caroline. Don't be afraid to speak your mind." He even had the audacity to casually sit down on the edge of my bed. He patted the empty space next to him, wordlessly inviting me to sit with him.

There was a long moment of hesitation, but in the end I complied. I slowly sat down, being careful not to touch him. Nevertheless, we were sitting rather close.

"So…" Klaus said, eyeing me expectantly.

"So… I don't have a clue what to say to you… But at the same time… I can't just ignore… this." I started quietly, waving my hand between the two of us as I said 'this'. "I guess what I'm trying to say is… I don't get you."

Klaus raised one of his elegant eyebrows, hinting that he needed a more detailed explanation.

"I mean… What's going on between us… Even if I wanted this to work out, and I'm not saying I do, but if I had any hopes… It wouldn't make any sense for us to be together." I clarified.

"Love often doesn't make sense." He easily waved away my arguments, using his spectacular blue eyes to soften me up.

"At least that's one thing we agree on." I admitted dryly. "But still… for us to be a couple… For starters we would need to have some things in common."

"We both value honesty." Klaus was quick to reply.

Was it just me, or had he subtly moved closer to me? I moved a few inches away from him, just to be safe.

"Maybe so, but as far as I can tell, that's all we've got. We're the exact opposite! We don't match!" I said, wondering how much more straightforward I would have to be for him to see the problem here.

He was not at all convinced. "Opposites attract. It's a cliché, but it's true."

I sighed in exasperation as I searched for more arguments.

"I trust that we'll be able to overcome our differences." He pressed.

"We're not just different, Klaus. We're too different. You take lives without even feeling guilty about it! I, on the other hand, don't want to be a killer. I don't even drink human blood! Surely that must bother you?" I challenged.

"Why should that bother me? I respect you for making your own choices, for not taking the most obvious path. It only proves what I already know… You're strong, and one of a kind. That's why you caught my eye to begin with." He sounded perfectly sincere when answering me.

How could someone so cruel, act so human? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that the universe was testing me to see if I was able to resist this highly tempting form of evil.

"You make a good case, but we're not going to happen." I said, my tone definite.

But he refused to let it rest. "I have yet to hear the argument that will stop me from trying to win your heart, Caroline."

By now I was certain that he had moved closer, for our knees were touching. I had every intention of pulling away, but I couldn't bring myself to do it. He had some kind of invisible hold on me. I had to stop this now, before I would fall in too deep.

"How about this one… You scare me." I blurted out, knowing that this was my last resort.

Klaus frowned, skepticism apparent on his handsome face. "That's nonsense. If that were true, you wouldn't be calmly sitting here, talking to me. You're not even trying to get away…"

"Not like that." I interrupted him. "It scares me that I don't get you. I'm trying to understand you, but I can't… You're unpredictable in a dangerous way. I don't get your motives. One moment you're perfectly gentle and caring, the next, you're a merciless serial killer."

For the first time tonight, his tone was becoming somewhat irritated. "Please, not that again! Who was it, dating a werewolf?"

I felt a stab of guilt as he brought up Tyler. Tyler who was still out there somewhere, fighting for his freedom. Fighting for me. And here I was, betraying him by developing feelings for the enemy. I was such a despicable person. I was suddenly overcome by the need to defend Tyler, and by the need to get through to Klaus.

"You see, that's the difference between you and Tyler! Before he became a hybrid, he would only turn into a werewolf whenever there was a full moon! I knew his motives, I knew why he became a monster… Because he had no other choice! He never wanted to harm anyone! He even locked himself up to make sure that everyone would be safe! He's nothing like you!" I was nearly yelling the words at him.

When I closed my mouth, all was quiet. No snappy remark from Klaus. No other sounds than our quiet breathing. The air was filled with tension as we looked each other in the eye, neither of us willing to give up this silent staring contest.

Eventually I blinked, and Klaus smelled victory. He leaned in a bit more, even though we were already mere inches apart.

"Very well… Let's clear this up, once and for all." He whispered, his breath caressing my face.

He was getting dangerously close, but I didn't dare to back away. I was paralyzed. To my own dismay, it wasn't fear keeping me in place. It was pure excitement. I loathed myself for feeling this way.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't want to be with me. If you can honestly say that you don't have any feelings for me, no feelings at all… I'll walk out of here and I promise to never interfere with your life again."

"That's all it takes? No other tricky conditions?" I asked, voice unsteady.

"Just one. You will have to mean it, sweetheart. After all, you know how much I appreciate honesty, and I can easily tell when someone is lying to me."

I was close to passing out when he hesitantly lifted up his hand, bringing it to my face so that he could tenderly graze my cheek with his fingertips. His touch should have appalled me, should have made me push him away. But I didn't even flinch. Instead I placed my hand over his, intertwining our fingers to gently remove his hand from my face.

"Please let it go." I begged.

A sad smile touched his face. "I can't. It would've been better if I could, though. Love is a vampire's greatest weakness, you know. Whenever we fall down, it's because we care too much." He mused. He glanced down at our hands; They were placed on the vacant space of bed between us, still intertwined.

"But you're Klaus… You're not supposed to care about anyone… How do I even know that you're speaking the truth?" I breathed.

"Why else would I go through all this trouble, Caroline? Because I'm planning on using you for one of my twisted plans? If that were the case, I could've compelled you weeks ago." He reminded me, focusing on my face again.

His answer made me wonder... "Why haven't you?"

"Why haven't I what?" Klaus questioned, momentarily confused.

"Compelled me… I mean… It would take you less than a minute to force me to love you, if you wanted to." I chose my words carefully, afraid that I would cross a line by suggesting that I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that.

To my relief, his reaction to my statement was civil enough. "Caroline, Caroline…" He lilted my name. "You still don't get it, do you? I have more than enough people who are staying with me because they're either compelled or scared to death. I don't need any more of those…"

"Then… What do you need?" I asked, still desperately looking to solve the mystery that was Klaus.

He lightly squeezed my hand, drawing my attention to the fact that it was still in his. "I need you to like me on your own terms. And seeing as you can't truthfully tell me that you don't want me to have any part in your life… I won't stop trying. You have every right to doubt my motives, as well as my humanity… But please don't doubt that my feelings for you are sincere. You will learn to understand me. You're a clever girl, if anyone can figure me out, it's you. I will persuade you, it's only a matter of time."

My throat was dry, making it hard for me to swallow, let alone speak. His closeness was intoxicating. I was lost in this very moment… And then there was the sound of the front door, slamming loudly. It made us both sit up, and Klaus gradually released my hand.

"Caroline? I'm home! Are you still awake?" I heard my mom's voice, coming from downstairs.

"Ehm… Yes! Kind of! I'll be down in a sec." I yelled back warily, my cheeks heating up.

Hiding a boy in your room was one thing. Hiding Klaus Mikaelson in your room… Oh god, I couldn't even begin to explain that to my mom.

Klaus sighed. "I believe that's my cue to leave."

"You got that right." I hissed, making sure that my mother couldn't hear. "She can't see you here!"

"Why not? I can assure you that I would make a rather decent son in law." He said, smiling smugly.

"Wow… Did you just joke?" I teased him, pretending to widen my eyes in shock.

He rolled his eyes, but I detected some humor in them. "Seems like it. But let's keep that between you and me, I wouldn't want to spoil my reputation."

I snorted soundlessly. "Your secret's safe with me."

"And your secret is safe with me." He said in a low voice, dead serious again.

"What secret?" I demanded, tone hushed.

He raised his hand to gesture between the two of us.

"Oh… Sure… Whatever." I mumbled, doing my best to make it sound like there wasn't really any secret to keep.

Klaus saw right through my pretenses, smiling knowingly before he headed for the window to make his escape. Before he left, he turned around one last time. I noticed that he was fumbling something out of his pocket. Before I had a chance to find out what it was, he tossed it at me. Thanks to my vampire reflexes I was in time to catch it.

"I really do want you to have this. I'm not trying to buy you off… I just think it suits you, you should wear it."

"Wait-what?" I stuttered.

He was already gone, which meant that I was talking to myself. One of the first signs of insanity, lovely. I shot a look at the open window, but I didn't see anything other than the black night sky.

I held up my hands to examine the small object that I was holding. The fine piece of jewelry was truly enchanting. It was the bracelet that he had given me for my birthday. The very same bracelet that I had angrily ripped off on the night of the Mikaelson ball. He had left it for me after saving my life, and I had returned it to him, claiming that I didn't want anything to do with someone like him...

Yet here it was again, following me around like a curse. I couldn't possibly accept this bracelet. Truth be told, it was beautiful… But it was also a gift from Klaus. I couldn't just go and wear his jewelry! That would be plain weird. Let alone the awkwardness if someone happened to ask me where this shiny little gadget had come from.

"I must be out of my mind." I mumbled dejectedly as I secured it to my wrist with a soft 'click'.

I made sure to hide it under the sleeve of my shirt before going downstairs. Perhaps Klaus thought of himself as a decent son in law, but I was willing to bet that my mom would beg to differ…


	7. Date

Waking up on a Monday morning was normally a dull, dreary event. That was the thing with Mondays; They were boring, and they mostly sucked. Nothing good ever happened on a Monday, no one could argue with that.

However this Monday morning, I woke up feeling a kind of weird excitement that I couldn't quite place. My head was foggy, but once my brain started to become a bit clearer, I thought back to last night. For an instant I wondered if all of it had actually happened, or if I had been dreaming. Klaus being in my room, acting all charming and gentlemanly, trying to persuade me to be with him… Surely my overactive mind had made it all up…

I slowly sat up in my bed, and instinctively my eyes flew to my wrist. Sure enough, there it was. The exquisite bracelet, subtly shimmering in the tiny bit of daylight that managed to creep through my curtains.

"This is so many different kinds of wrong." I groaned, my voice thick with sleep.

While going through my morning routine, I made a serious effort to not think about all the things he had said to me the other night. I couldn't afford to get any more involved with him than I already was. Not if I wanted to keep my friends. Not if I wanted to keep myself from breaking Tyler's heart…

Every other day or so, Tyler would send me a text message, or leave me a voicemail. It was his way of letting me know that he was still fighting, and that he was determined to win this battle. He never gave any specifics on how he was doing, but he was letting me know that he was still thinking about me. It was an unspoken request for me to wait for him. How could I ever deny him? Especially because I did care about him, an awful lot. The main problem was Klaus, and the fact that he was slowly starting to make me realize that there were some important differences between a very close friendship and the feeling of true passion.

Oh god… Here I was, rambling about true passion. That Original hybrid had infected my brain cells, no question about it. I was not in love with the guy, no way! There would be a cold day in hell before I would fall for a freak show like him!

By all means keep telling yourself that, you're already wearing his freaking bracelet, I mentally scolded myself.

What the hell was wrong with me? Aside from the multiple personality disorder that I seemed to be developing.

-xxx-

I stepped outside, into the chilly morning air. I was on my way to Mystic Falls high. Ever since I had become a vampire, school seemed sort of meaningless. Sadly, my mom was very stubborn when it came to this particular subject; She wanted me to at least finish high school. And maybe she did have a point, but when getting up in the morning, knowing that there were six boring classes waiting for you… Let's say that I could think of more fun ways to spend my days.

I was about to get into my car, when my phone made a small noise. It was a message from Stefan.

'Morning! Are you up for some bunny hunting when you're done at school? Stefan.'

His message made me smile. I had called him last night, to check how he was holding up, and he had proudly announced that he was still 'clean'. I quickly answered his message, eager to get out of the fog and into my car.

'Sure! See you at four?'

'Four it is.' Was his instant reply.

I grinned, pleased that he was doing so well. It felt really great to get my friend back.

-xxx-

Although Stefan had initially planned to keep Elena in the dark about his change of lifestyle, she wasn't that easily fooled. I should've known that she was rather perceptive when it came to Stefan, but it still took me by surprise when she brought him up, which made that I wasn't properly prepared for the cross-examination that she had in store for me. As the two of us were on our way to English class, she took the opportunity to grill me.

"Hey Caroline… Can I ask you something?" She started out of the blue. She sounded serious, so I could already sense that her question was going to be a Stefan-related one.

"Shoot." I answered, my voice a pitch too high.

I was such a pitiful liar. I silently prayed that she wouldn't get a chance to pry too much.

"This may sound strange, but have you talked to Stefan lately? I mean, I know things are different now, but the two of you used to be pretty good friends before… Well, you know, before he left..." She carefully formulated her question. To my relief she didn't directly mention Klaus.

"No… Yes… I mean… We haven't really… There wasn't any serious talk. Just some small talk." Wow, very smooth, Caroline. You might as well tell her right away! Or why not announce it in the local newspaper?

Elena lifted her eyebrows at me, obviously suspicious after my transparent reply. Even a monkey would've been able to tell that I was shamelessly lying.

"Alright, fine! We might have talked…" I blurted out, realizing that it was a lost cause.

"You know what's going on with him." Elena stated, not asked. "Something's different about him lately, I can tell. What's up, Caroline?"

"He'll tell you when he's ready, trust me." I tried to avoid her question.

"Caroline… I've known you since forever, I can tell when you're lying." She pushed, staring me down.

"Okay, okay!" I caved. "He's working so hard to change. He doesn't want to be a killer, he wants to go back to being the old Stefan. He hasn't had a drop of human blood in weeks!"

Elena blinked slowly, seeming pleasantly surprised. "But… That's good… Why hasn't he told me?"

I shrugged. "He said something about not wanting you to get your hopes up."

She sighed. "That sounds like Stefan… Still, he should've told me. If he's trying to get himself together, I want to help."

"I think it's best if you let it rest for now." I disagreed lightly. "Besides, I'm keeping an eye on him, you shouldn't worry. I'm sure that he will be fine, he just needs some time to find himself again."

"Plus, you don't want me to talk to him because he would know that you spilled your guts." Elena accused dryly.

"Yeah, that too…" I muttered guiltily.

Elena slowly shook her head, smirking. "You truly are the world's most terrible liar."

"Probably." I allowed in defeat.

"But you think it would be best for me to let him be for now?" She checked a second time.

"Yes, I do… Could you do me a favor, though? If you decide that you do want to talk to Stefan about this, please just say that it was Damon spilling the beans. You're my friend, right? Friends don't betray friends." I pleaded, giving her my most persuasive look.

"Damon knows!" Elena exclaimed in disbelief. "Is there anyone in this town who doesn't know!"

"I'm sorry." I told her, flinching a little at her loud tone.

She groaned as we entered the classroom. "It's not your fault, you were just trying to be a good friend by respecting his wishes. I suppose I will just… Let it rest for now." She reluctantly gave in.

"Thank you. Seriously. He'll come around. If anyone can do it, it's Stefan." I flashed her a reassuring smile.

"I know… And Caroline… Thanks for looking out for him." She said, returning my smile.

"My pleasure. Stefan is essentially a good guy, we'll get him back on track…"

An annoying voice in the back of my head was randomly telling me that, unfortunately, this couldn't be said for every bad guy…

-xxx-

That afternoon, as Stefan and I were strolling the forest, it soon became clear that I was about to be subjected to yet another interrogation.

"Hey Caroline… Did you talk to Elena today?" He suddenly asked.

Major déjà vu. I had two choices here. One; I could try to lie to his face. Then of course I would fail at lying, I would get caught, and I would end up telling him the truth anyway. Two; I could save myself all this trouble by being straight with him.

"Not this again! Who do you think I am, Dr. Phil? You and Elena should work out your issues together, instead of talking through me!" I blabbed out. Option two it is.

"She asked about me as well?" Stefan guessed.

I merely nodded.

"Well, did you tell her anything?" He probed.

I tried for an apologetic look.

It didn't take Stefan long to understand what was going on. "You couldn't lie to save your life." He said matter-of-factly, probably recalling that my lying skills were less than pathetic.

"I'm sorry! Please don't get mad!" I said, making a face at him.

He chuckled. "It's fine. And you're right, it's not fair, me putting you in the middle of this. I will talk to Elena myself. I suppose I owe it to her, she never gave up on me… Besides, I'm slowly starting to trust myself again."

"So I am forgiven?" I said jokingly.

"Most definitely." Stefan confirmed, smiling. "So… Enough about my problems. What's going on with you? Any more news from Tyler?"

Another huge amount of guilt hit me as Tyler was brought up.

"He sent me a text the other day… You know, the usual. He's still trying. From what I can tell, he won't return until he's a hundred percent sure that he's not sired to… Klaus anymore." I stumbled on Klaus' name; It was starting to become a habit.

"That's understandable, after what he did to you… Although I'm not sure if he has that much to fear at the moment… Things have been awfully quiet around Klaus, ever since his family left town." Stefan remarked thoughtfully.

"You know what they say… No news is good news." I said, faking a cheerful tone.

That didn't chase away Stefan's worried frown. "Possibly… On the other hand, it does make me wonder what sort of sinister project he's currently working on."

I smiled vaguely. "Who knows…"

Oh, I know which project he's working on. It's standing right in front of your nose! I thought, my stomach turning.

"Either way, I think Tyler is right. Better safe than sorry. I know he can do it, he truly cares about you." Stefan's attempt to cheer me up was making me sick with guilt.

"Sure… He can do it… It will all be fine. Everything's just peachy." I mumbled dismissively. "Let's forget about it and hunt some stinking animals…"

Stefan gave me a concerned look, but luckily didn't dig any further.

I was torn inside as we both started to speed up, going deeper into the woods. This terrible liar wasn't even able to lie to herself anymore. No matter where I went from here, several people were bound to get hurt…

-xxx-

After I got home from the hunt, I decided to act like a normal human teenager and do my homework. Concentrating on some complicated biology project was one way to distract yourself from the nasty problems that were nagging you.

For a while I kept myself busy. I even lost track of time, but was brought back to planet Earth when my mom called. She told me that things were crazy busy at work today, and that she wouldn't be back in time for dinner. She also informed me that she had left one of her homemade chicken noodle casseroles in the fridge. I wrinkled my nose as I hung up the phone. Three basic facts about my mom; Excellent sheriff. Wonderful mother. Disastrous cook.

The second I opened the door of the fridge, the horrible smell of spicy chicken invaded my sensitive vampire senses.

"Gross!" I uttered, swiftly closing the fridge to keep the detestable scent from spreading any further.

I was going to settle for a peanut butter sandwich, thank you very much. I would have to get rid of that smelly casserole later though, seeing as I didn't want to hurt my mom's feelings.

Just as I was done making my sandwich, the sound of the doorbell prevented me from taking the first bite.

"Coming!" I yelled in the general direction of the front door.

Nothing could've prepared me for what happened when I answered it. Standing before me was Klaus himself, a confident smile gracing his carefully composed face.

"Klaus… What are you…" I started, shocked to see him.

He didn't give me a chance to finish that thought. "In my opinion, a woman like you deserves a meal that is slightly more exclusive than cheap chicken or peanut butter."

My eyes grew wider. "You are truly unbelievable! You were spying on me!" I said angrily, waving my sandwich at him to empower my accusation.

The jerk grinned. "Careful there, sweetheart. Please put that down, we wouldn't want anyone to get injured."

It was close to impossible to not laugh at the absurdity of this situation. The position that I was currently in was nothing short of hilarious. I was threatening an Original vampire with a peanut butter sandwich. It also didn't help that Klaus did nothing to hide his amusement. Yet, I had every intention of keeping my act together. I would remain nothing but serious…

I failed. I couldn't help but laugh as I lowered my sandwich. Oh, that awkward moment when the man you despise succeeds at making you laugh.

"That's a wise decision." Klaus said, the hint of a smile never leaving his lips. "Mind you, I didn't come here to fight." He added casually.

"Then what are you doing here? Aside from stalking me." I wondered out loud, folding my arms in front of my chest and leaning against the doorpost.

"I'm here because I want to take you out, so to speak. I'm inviting you to have a proper meal with me. I've heard that Mystic Falls does have a few acceptable restaurants." He answered smoothly.

I couldn't believe my ears. "Wait, what? Like a date?" I asked skeptically.

"Yes, I believe that's what they call it these days. A date. So what do you say? Will you come with me?" He sounded hopeful.

"I don't know… I…"

"Please…" He interrupted me, a pleading look on his face.

And then, that stupid cheater used the power of his blazing blue eyes on me. There was no need for him to compel me; I wouldn't be able to resist him anyway.

"Fine! But only because I'm starving." I gave in with poor grace.

I was such an idiot. In fact, if you looked the word 'idiot' up in the dictionary, there would be a picture of me, right next to the description. Oh my, what was I getting myself into?


	8. Dinner

Naturally, Klaus owned a very fancy -and undoubtedly expensive- car. I was nervously fumbling with my hands as I gazed out of the window of aforementioned car. Pretending to absently stare at the surroundings was a lot easier than actually facing him.

"Thank you for coming with me. I appreciate that you are at least giving me a chance." Klaus said conversationally, breaking the silence. "For a moment I thought that you were going to turn me down."

I sat a little straighter before answering him, but I didn't turn my head. "So did I… Quite frankly, I still can't believe I'm doing this."

Even though I wasn't looking at him, I could make out the smile in his voice as he replied. "You must be truly starving then."

"You have no idea." I said, my tone lighter now.

He laughed softly, sensing that I was starting to relax.

God, it was difficult to remain distant and cold while he was acting all charming and… Dare I say it? Friendly. No! No, no, no! 'Klaus' and 'friendly' were two things that didn't match! Just like 'Klaus' and 'Caroline' were two things that didn't match. This was ridiculous…

"We're here." He announced as he parked the car.

"Great." I muttered, for the first time glancing in his direction.

He was determined to turn my mood around. "Come on, sweetheart. You could show me some more enthusiasm. I, for one, am not afraid to admit that I'm looking forward to spending an evening in the presence of a beautiful woman such as yourself."

His smile was reserved, but his azure eyes were shining, giving away that he was genuinely excited to go and have dinner with me. Unless he was the world's greatest actor, he appeared to be nothing but sincere.

"I'm sorry. I really need some time to get used to the idea of voluntarily hanging out with you." I said, half serious, half joking.

Klaus grinned at me. "Fair enough."

-xxx-

As we entered the restaurant, it took me less than a second to observe that the entire interior was screaming 'overpriced'. I didn't comment though. After all, it was him, taking me out to dinner. If he wanted to spend a fortune on delicious food, I was not the type to complain. The place was pretty crowded, and I briefly wondered if Klaus had even bothered to make a reservation.

Before I had a chance to ask him, he confidently approached one of the members of the staff. Said employee was wearing a pricy suit, and when Klaus addressed him, he replied by nodding stiffly.

"Give me a second." Klaus told me offhandedly.

Not giving me a chance to argue, he left me at the door so he could have a private conversation with the host. They were both using hushed tones, but my sensitive hearing didn't stop me from catching what they were discussing.

When Klaus turned around, focusing on me again, he looked satisfied. "I managed to get us a lovely table."

I rolled my eyes at him. "You compelled the poor guy."

"He asked for it. When living in a town like this, one should always keep in mind the benefits of consuming some Vervain every once in a while." Klaus responded dismissively as we followed a waiter to our 'lovely table'.

"Sure, buddy. Whatever floats your boat." I mumbled under my breath, getting annoyed.

He chuckled. "I heard that."

The waiter pointed at a secluded table somewhere close to a window, and we both sat down.

"You have to admit, it is a very nice table." Klaus said, cocking his head to the side.

"There's no point in denying that..." I agreed absentmindedly.

As it was, I was feeling more than a little weird. Probably because it was slowly starting to sink in that I was having an almost-date with the enemy…

The struggle within me was becoming a full-blown war. All of my thoughts were fighting amongst themselves. There were thoughts about how Klaus could be very charming when he wanted to be, as well as thoughts about how I should've never allowed any of this to happen. And then there were thoughts about how Klaus and I were from completely different planets. Thoughts about how I was betraying Tyler. Thoughts about how I was betraying my friends...

The waiter distracted me by handing us the menus. I eagerly took this opportunity to look away from Klaus, gluing my eyes to my menu instead. I was merely looking at the words, unable to actually read any of them.

"So, why don't you tell me what's going on inside that beautiful head of yours, sweetheart." He suddenly asked, taking me by surprise. "It's obvious that something is bothering you."

I glanced up at him, deliberating. His blue eyes were watching me closely. I couldn't actually tell him the truth, now could I?

"Nothing that I can discuss with you." I finally said. My tone was confident, but not unfriendly. I was just being honest with him, like he wanted me to.

"Why not? You could try me." He attempted to persuade me, giving me a half-smile.

I ignored his charming plea, but started a round of questions of my own. "Seriously… Why are you acting so… Interested? I mean, why do you even care about my thoughts and problems? I don't get you, at all. You've been around for centuries… You must have met like, a million girls, over time! Spectacular girls, special girls… Why are you even bothering to get little old me to like you?" I asked, actually curious to hear his answer.

For several moments, he seemed to be contemplating. However when he answered my question, it was without hesitating. His expression was nothing if not sincere. "In case you've forgotten, it was you who told me that I didn't connect with people because I didn't even try to understand them. Taking into account that you often say things that make a lot of sense… I decided to take your advice."

"What?" I asked, momentarily stunned.

"Your advice… That I should try to understand others. Surely you remember."

Hell yes, I remembered. I cringed inwardly as I thought back to the night of the Mikaelson ball. The night when I had recklessly lectured Klaus about his poor people skills.

I worked to keep my face straight. "I might have mentioned something like that."

"Good. So let's say, purely hypothetical, that I'm willing to do something about that… Then I would have to start somewhere. There are a lot of people on this planet, so I'd say it would be best to take it one person at a time. So why not start with you? I want to understand what's going on inside your mind." He defined, trapping my eyes with his own.

It was clear that he was using the very best of him to make me surrender. This was all getting too serious, and so I tried to make things a little less intense by throwing in a joke.

"Hmm, I don't know if that's such a good idea. I mean, look at it this way; If you're truly prepared to try and understand people, and you seriously want to give it a shot… Then wouldn't it be easier for you if you started with a more interesting person? At least that would keep you from giving up too quickly."

Klaus rolled his eyes, but didn't get a chance to respond seeing as our server was back, asking us if we were ready to order. At this point I realized that I hadn't paid any attention to the menu, which meant that I had no clue what to order.

Klaus must have noticed how I was brainlessly staring at the waiter, for he decided to save me. "We'll just have a little bit of everything." He simply said.

The waiter frowned, blankly looking at Klaus. He was probably wondering if he had heard correctly.

"But sir, there are about twenty main courses on our menu." The waiter informed us as soon as he recovered.

This earned him a glare from Klaus. The scary kind of glare. The compelling kind of glare.

"I don't recall asking you how many courses there are on the menu. So why don't you keep your useless information to yourself, and serve us a little bit of everything."

"Klaus!" I snapped, successfully distracting him, disturbing his eye contact with the waiter.

"What?" He asked, eyes filled with fake innocence.

This guy was unbelievable! He was pretending that he was doing nothing wrong. And failing. I turned my attention to the waiter. The poor soul appeared to be confused. He didn't snap out of his daze until I directly addressed him.

"I'm sorry, never mind him." I said, apologizing for Klaus' behavior. "What would you recommend?"

Our server seemed to be back to normal, sounding strictly professional when advising me. "We get many compliments about the salmon, Miss."

"Then that's what we'll have." My statement was accompanied by a warning glare in Klaus' direction.

"Very well, Miss." He said, picking up our menus before departing.

Klaus gave me a look that was partly astonished, partly amused. "What was that all about?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Ten minutes ago you claimed that you wanted to try and understand others, right?"

"I never said that. It was a hypothetical case." Klaus disagreed.

"Too bad. Otherwise you could've considered this lesson number one; Most people don't like it when their free will is taken away from them." I hinted curtly.

Klaus shrugged. "I don't care about most people. I care about you."

I sighed, shaking my head in disbelief. "I wish you wouldn't say things like that."

He didn't go against me. For a moment he was simply observing me, not talking. It kind of gave me the creeps. I reached for my drink, hoping that it would stop him from staring at me like that. It worked, sort of; He detached his eyes from my face, but was now watching my hand as I picked up my glass of wine.

"You're wearing it." He remarked smugly, nodding at the bracelet.

I laughed nervously, knowing that there was no way that I could talk myself out of this one. "Yeah, I suppose I am... Any excuse that I would come up with right now would sound extremely lame, right?"

"Why would you want to make up an excuse? You have every right to wear a marvelous piece of jewelry that was given to you by a dear friend." His blue eyes wandered, leaving my wrist and returning to my face.

I critically raised one of my eyebrows at him. "You consider us friends?"

"I'd rather be much more than your friend." He said flat out. "But I'll take what I can get."

How was it that he constantly managed to choose the words that succeeded at shutting me up? The waiter couldn't have picked a better moment to show up with our food. He placed our plates on the table, avoiding every form of eye contact.

"Enjoy your meal." Was all he said before rapidly walking away.

Even though the guy was totally clueless, his human instincts were probably telling him that something eerie was going on at this table.

Klaus seemed oblivious to the boy's distress, and he was smiling at me almost warmly. "That's right, love… Enjoy your meal. I reckon this must taste a lot better than that sandwich you planned on eating."

"Well… You should know that I make a mean peanut butter sandwich!" Was my feeble defense.

I could see that he was trying to keep himself from grinning. "Oh, don't be offended. I wouldn't dare to doubt your sandwich-making-skills."

We both began to eat, and a content smile made its way to my face after taking the first bite. Yes, this was much better than any sandwich could ever be. I briefly closed my eyes in delight.

Klaus' chuckle made me open my eyes again. "I assume this means that it is better than what you were planning to eat at home?"

"It's not bad." I said nonchalantly, chewing slowly.

"So it is safe to say that you don't regret coming with me?" He checked.

"The food is good. And the company could've been worse." I confessed.

"Good." He said after taking another sip of wine. "You know if you asked me, I'd say that the company is amazing. I know you're still having trouble believing me, but you are by far one of the most interesting girls I've ever encountered."

I snorted. "Oh come on, be realistic. I'm not interesting. Everyone who knows me would probably describe me as 'shallow'. And if you asked them, they would tell you…"

He interrupted me. "They're wrong. They don't know anything."

I put down my fork, leaning against the back of my chair. "Are you sure about that? You're talking to the girl who, up until a year ago, had no other goals in life than to become homecoming queen. The girl who was dying to become Miss Mystic Falls. The girl who read Twilight, wishing for a hot vampire to climb through her window at night..." I summarized a bunch of my unattractive sides.

"Isn't that ironic?" Klaus dryly reacted to my last statement. "Did no one ever tell you to be careful what you wish for, love?"

I laughed humorlessly. "Things have definitely changed since then. Nowadays, most nights I'm wishing for vampires to stay out of my house."

"Not to mention you've become one of them yourself." Klaus reminded me. "But you see, that's why you're wrong. When you became a vampire, you changed. You became more mature, you grew up…"

"How would you know that I've changed? You didn't know me back then." I challenged.

Klaus being Klaus, he already had an answer ready. "That's easy, Caroline. When looking at you, I see a strong, independent woman. You're not shallow, or immature. You're never afraid to speak your mind. You're brave. You always stand up for yourself… Even when it's against me. I see absolutely nothing that represents the shallow teenage girl that you just described."

"I…" I was on the verge of coming up with a brilliant reply, but at that exact moment my annoying phone went off.

The polite thing to do, would be to ignore the person calling me, and call back later. But in a town like this, you never knew. What if it was my mom, calling me because she was in some kind of trouble?

"Excuse me, I'm going to… Take this." I said apologetically as I searched my purse for the damned phone.

Klaus didn't seem to mind, encouraging me to proceed. "It's fine, go ahead."

My cheeks started burning as I saw a familiar name on the screen of my cell. There was such a thing as bad timing, and there was such a thing as disastrous timing. This call couldn't have been more unwelcome. I was at a loss what to do as the screen persistently kept lighting up. Two little words were staring me in the face, turning the entire evening around.

'Tyler Calling'.


	9. Choices

My eyes were staring at the phone. Tyler's name was still blinking at me. I was petrified. It was a bad idea to answer this call. It was also a bad idea to ignore it. No matter the choice I would make, it would be a wrong choice.

I coughed lightly as I declined the call, unsubtly throwing my phone back into my purse.

Klaus was frowning at me. "Aren't you going to take that?" He questioned curiously.

"No!" I said hastily. "I thought that maybe it would be something important. But it's not, so I'll call back later." I added in a calmer tone.

I felt horrible. I should've answered the call. I should've told Tyler that everything was going to be alright. That he would be fine. That we would be fine. But I couldn't be sure about that, not anymore. Saying that it would all turn out fine would be the same as lying to his face.

"Is something wrong?" Klaus asked, not missing my flustered state.

"Nothing." I squeaked as my brain worked to make up a believable excuse. "It's just this girl from school… She's always bothering me about her homework. It's annoying really, but no big deal. I'll see her tomorrow."

"Right." He said sarcastically, letting me know that he wasn't buying it.

"I mean it, it's nothing." I insisted.

"If you say so... " He didn't sound convinced, at all.

"I say so! So just drop it. I don't want her to ruin this evening." I stuttered as I reached the word 'her'.

He momentarily watched me -face skeptical- but thankfully, he let it go.

"I see… Well, in that case, could I interest you in a small dessert?" He proposed, fixing those blue eyes on me.

He had to be doing it on purpose. He must have known that I couldn't say no to those eyes. I mean, honestly, who could?

"Sure… If there is chocolate." I said nonchalantly.

Klaus' smile was promising. "Oh, there will be. Trust me…"

-xxx-

There was chocolate. Lots of it. Klaus might have compelled a waiter. Or two. I wasn't quite sure; The wine was making it hard for me to focus on insignificant details. All I could see right now, was that there was a gorgeous guy, buying me dinner and claiming that I was what he called 'genuine beauty'. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I recalled that this guy was a monster, but he had his own ways to make me forget about that.

We talked, about everything and nothing. Klaus mostly wanted to talk about me, but he also gave me a chance to find out more about him. He told me fascinating stories about the less disturbing parts of his past. Stories about stuff that had happened ages ago, involving princes and princesses. It was difficult to grasp that these stories were not fairytales, but that all of this had been his life back then.

Time flies when you're having fun. It's such a lame saying, but it's spot-on. At a certain point I checked my watch, and I realized that it was almost midnight.

"Oh god, I should go." I groaned.

Klaus didn't seem too fond of the idea of me leaving. "Really? Why?"

"School in the morning. Very early." Was my short but clear explanation.

Forming full sentences was getting harder, as was staying awake. I needed some sleep. Also, I had to get away from him before he would succeed at brainwashing me completely.

"Bring me home. Please." I requested.

He cocked an eyebrow at me, and so I expected that he was going to be difficult about this. But once again he caught me off guard by doing the unexpected.

"Very well then. If that's what you want."

"That's what I want." I lazily repeated his words.

"I'll be right back." He said as he got up and took off, probably to pay the bill. Or to compel someone in order to get out of paying the bill. I was tired and beyond caring.

I rested my chin on my hands, blankly gazing at the now deserted restaurant as I waited for him to come back. His voice functioned as my wake-up call.

"Are you ready to leave?"

I looked up at him. He was casually standing next to me, offering his hand. I was disgusted with myself as I took it and got up from my chair. How could someone this evil be this irresistible? Why was I even falling for his act? I was a rational girl; I knew what was hiding behind the mask. Yet here I was, going along with his stupid games.

He was a perfect gentleman. Opening the door for me, leading me outside, helping me into his car. All of his actions were perfectly normal. With every second that passed it was getting harder for me to hold on to the thought that he was not perfectly normal.

"You seem awfully quiet." Klaus pointed out while he was driving me home.

"Tired." I mumbled.

It wasn't even a lie. Still, aside from being exhausted, I felt utterly confused. I wasn't supposed to feel this way about him. I had even ignored Tyler's call on Klaus' behalf. I needed to come back down to earth, soon.

I was pulled out of my thoughts when the car came to a stop in front of my house.

"You're home, Miss Forbes. I guess this is it." He announced, sounding rather serious. No smirks or smug smiles this time.

"I guess… Thanks for… I mean…" I was tripping over my own words.

"What is it you want to say? You can tell me, I like you best when you're being honest, you know that." Klaus reminded me. His eyes were communicating that he meant it.

I took a deep breath before blurting out the truth in a rush. "I don't regret coming with you tonight. I don't regret it one bit."

His smile was nearly invisible, but it was there. "That's good…"

"Yes… But I should go now." I grabbed the handle of the door as I said this.

"I'll walk you to your door."

I was about to object, but he was already out of the car, not giving me a chance. I had no other choice than to get out of the car as well, and I kept my eyes fixed on the ground as we silently walked to my front door.

I hesitantly turned to face him as we reached the porch steps.

"Well… Thank you. That was… good food." I awkwardly managed to say.

He chuckled, sensing my uneasiness. "It sure was."

I cleared my throat. "Yes…"

We gazed at each other. This was like a scene from some silly romantic movie. The magical moment after a successful date when the first kiss was supposed to take place. Only this was different, seeing as this story wasn't about two average teenagers. It was about an average girl who had been turned into a vampire, and a monster.

"You don't… Expect me to kiss you, do you?" My big mouth blabbed out before I could put a sock in it.

He blinked slowly, but his eyes never strayed. "You tell me."

I shook my head, voice trembling as I answered him. "I can't… You're… I'm supposed to hate you, for crying out loud!"

Unpredictable as always, he laughed lightly, not seeming offended at all. "Oh yes, hate… I've been around a long time, Caroline, and let me tell you this... It's very easy to fall in love, for both vampires and humans. And as easy as that is, it's even easier to hate someone. But you know what's more complicated?"

"No…" I shakily responded to his question, even if it was a rhetorical one.

"The thing between love and hate. It tears us apart, no matter how hard we try to fight or suppress it."

He hit the nail right on the head. It was easy to let yourself go and fall in love. It was even less hard to get angry at someone and hate them with all your heart. But what if there was someone, playing an important part in your life, whom you couldn't hate, yet couldn't love?

I smiled weakly, giving him a sign to show him that what he'd just said made sense to me, even though I didn't feel like admitting it out loud.

"You will have to make a choice eventually, Caroline. For your own sake. You can't count on me to change, so you will have to decide for yourself whether or not you can settle for the small piece of humanity that I have left."

"That's impossible." I whispered.

He leaned in ever so slightly, all the while keeping his eyes on mine. I might have stopped breathing for a moment. I became aware that one of his strong hands was cupping my jaw, keeping me in place. And then he lightly placed a kiss on my forehead, like he'd done that night when he had saved my life.

"Whatever you decide, it has to be your choice." His lips were brushing the skin of my forehead as he emphasized the word 'your'.

And with that he swiftly pulled away, leaving me stunned, frozen in place. He got into his car without looking back, driving off into the night.

-xxx-

I was under the impression that I'd been very quiet when closing the front door, but as I tiptoed into the hallway, I heard my mom calling from the kitchen. Shoot, she was still awake… It was a given that she would fire some tough questions at me. Questions like 'Who have you been with?'.

"Caroline? Is that you?"

"Yes." I called back, rolling my eyes.

Who else would it be? Then again, when living in a town like Mystic Falls, you could never be too careful. I stalked into the kitchen, finding my mother at the kitchen table, checking out a pile of papers as she held on to a steaming mug of coffee.

"You're up late." I accused as I sat down across from her.

She smiled tiredly, putting down the coffee and rubbing her temples. "Work. How about you? You're not exactly early either."

"Oh… Just… Hanging out with a friend." I cursed myself as the blood rushed to my cheeks.

My mom curiously raised her eyebrows. "Really? Which friend?" She pried.

Dang, not again with the lying, I thought gloomily.

"Stefan… Salvatore." That was sort of true. I had been with Stefan this afternoon.

"Oh…" My mom said, unable to hide her surprise.

"Yeah… He's finally starting to come to his senses, and I want to help him. You know how he helped me when I… Well, you know."

She gave me a warm smile. "I understand, you don't have to explain. He's your friend, and I think it's very sweet of you to support him. Be careful though… You've changed so much lately, and don't get me wrong, I think it's wonderful that you're always trying to help others. But it's not a crime to think about yourself every once in a while."

"I'll keep that in mind... But I'm fine, mom. No problems here." It came out fluently.

I was getting better at this lying stuff. This had to be a classic case of 'practice makes perfect'.

She defensively put up her hands. "Alright then, I'm just saying."

"I know. I love you too." I said, grinning.

I would rather have an overprotective mom than a mother who didn't care at all. That was one of the positive changes since I had become a vampire; My relationship with my mom had turned around drastically, for the better.

"Same here, sweety."

I sprang up from my chair, quickly planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'm calling it a night, I need my bed."

My mom yawned as she picked up her coffee again. "Some sleep sounds like a lovely plan, I think I'll finish these tomorrow."

"You do that. Every day I'm dealing with vampires, and witches, and werewolves… I could do without a zombie-mom." I joked.

She snorted, pushing the papers aside. "That's enough to convince me. Goodnight."

I grinned as well. "Goodnight."

As I climbed the stairs, Tyler's call came back to mind. What was I going to do about that? Ignore him? That would be rude. Call him back? What in the world would I tell him?

Hey Tyler! How's it going? Back here everything's great! Bonnie's mom is a vampire now, but she's handling it. Our friends are okay, even Stefan is almost back to normal. I guess that's about it… Oh wait, there is one more thing… I think I might be falling in love with Klaus. You know, the guy who ruined your life and who tried to kill us all.

"Get a grip, Caroline!" I quietly hissed to myself.

Back at the restaurant, I'd had every intention of calling Tyler back once I got home… And now I was chickening out, big time.

I wasn't paying attention to anything as I stumbled into my room. It wasn't until I was about to fall down onto my bed fully clothed, not even bothering to look for my pajamas, that I realized that someone was already sitting on it.

I screamed involuntarily.

"Oh relax, you're giving me way too much credit, I'm not that scary. Especially not compared to that hybrid freak show that you were hanging out with earlier tonight." Damon Salvatore's voice was characteristically filled with sarcasm.

I groaned in annoyance. What was it with all these vampires creeping into my room at any given time? I was so sick of this! Whatever happened to things like privacy?

"Damon! What are you doing here? Get out!" I said lowly, scowling at him.

"No can do. At least not until you give me a detailed explanation about what the hell you think you're doing…"

Busted. Note to self; Purchase iron bars to put on bedroom window.


	10. Diabolical Plans

Damon was not at all intimidated by the fit that I was currently throwing. I was glaring daggers at him while shooting insults, and he calmly watched me as he lounged on my bed.

"Are you done?" He asked at a certain point, sounding more indifferent than anything else.

"I mean it, Damon! You can't just barge in here." I sneered, being careful that I wasn't being too loud in case my mom was still awake and listening.

"From the looks of it, I already did." He reminded me. "So, let's move on. The sooner we clear this up, the sooner I'm out of here. It's not like I enjoy being surrounded by so much… yellow. Not to mention so much anger and negative energy."

"Anger and negative energy? Me? Wow, you're one to talk!"

"Don't even go there, let's focus on the issue at hand here." Damon insisted.

"Fine." I growled.

"Fine." He repeated. "So spill."

"What do you want me to say?" I snapped, stalling a bit, hoping to buy some time so I could come up with a logical explanation.

"I want you to tell me what's going on with you and psycho-boy."

"It's obvious, isn't it." I said helplessly while my brain was working overtime to come up with an excuse. Any excuse.

"Wait, don't say one more word, let me guess… That son of a dead reborn witch compelled you." He concluded.

I rolled my eyes. "No Damon, he didn't."

Although pretending that I had been compelled had seemed like a decent story at first, I knew that a lie that big would come out sooner rather than later. Especially when it was a worthless liar like me, telling said lie.

"Then what is it, huh?" He pushed as he got up from the bed, getting impatient. "Is he your new BFF? Does he make an awesome shopping partner? Gay-best-friend maybe?" Damon Salvatore never passed up an opportunity to taunt me about the fact that he saw me as nothing but a brainless blonde girl who liked to shop.

"At least you're not being a jerk." I retorted, unsubtly dodging his question.

"You're not answering me." He was never going to let this go, not in a billion years.

His icy eyes were looking right through me. Just as I was about to give up and surrender, an idea hit me. It was definitely not an award-winning idea, but also not the worst idea ever... It could work… It was all I had. Of course I would have to lie. And it would have to be convincing. I inhaled deeply before looking him straight in the eye. Here goes nothing.

"Alright, if you must know, I'm trying to make the best of a hopeless situation."

Damon narrowed his eyes at me. "I hate to say this but… I'm not keeping up."

"Klaus… He claims to have this thing for me. That night at the Mikaelson ball he told me that he fancies me." I made a face as I quoted him. "Naturally, I don't believe him. I know that it's probably some sort of trick, but that doesn't take away the fact that he's been chasing after me ever since." I provided him with a short summary.

"Okay… So, the scumbag tells you that he is interested in you, you have a death wish, thus you decided to give it a shot?" Damon listed, tone uninterested.

"You really don't get it, do you?" I huffed, feigning frustration. "Think about it, Damon! This might be a way to get to him!"

"Get to him, how?" He urged, raising one of his eyebrows. For the first time he appeared to be paying attention.

"To get inside his head! We let him get to us because he's manipulating us by using our emotions. Both Stefan and you have tried to kill the guy, over and over again, failing every time… Plain violence is not the solution, we know that now. But maybe, if we can find out more about him… About his weaknesses, his vulnerabilities… He only has a small part of humanity left, but what if that's enough to ensure his not so far in the future demise? This is an excellent opportunity for me to get close to him. It might not work, but now that I have a chance to try…"

He merely gaped at me.

"Besides… You must have noticed that things are very quiet around Klaus lately… It seems that he's so busy wooing me that he has considerably less time to slaughter half the town." I added a little smugly, seeing as it was obvious that Damon was impressed.

"So basically you're saying…" Damon paused, examining me closely. "You're saying… That there is some kind of diabolical plan going on, and I'm not in on it?" He pretended to be shocked as he finished his sentence.

I sighed, shaking my head. "No one is in on it. Not Stefan, or Elena, or Bonnie… And I know that it's a long shot. All I'm saying is, while I'm stuck in this position, I might as well try to get something out of it. It's the best plan we've got right now, since the only other way we know how to get to Klaus is his family, and they're all alive and kicking at this moment..."

He frowned, slowly taking everything in.

"I'm not sure where all of this is going, but Klaus has done so much damage already. We have to do something to stop him." I prayed that I wasn't being too overdramatic, but as far as I could tell, Damon was falling for my act.

"You're risking your life to get into that nutcase's head..." He mused.

"I realize that it's a risky operation… But this is my chance to be around him and ask him personal questions without him getting all suspicious."

Damon let out a disbelieving snort. "Don't tell anyone I said this… But that's a pretty useful plan you've got there, Blondie."

"Why, thank you for the almost-compliment." I borrowed some of his sarcasm as I said this.

"I can be polite." He replied, ignoring my tone.

"Whatever you say." I muttered. "By the way, I think that it's your turn to explain some things now."

Damon shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Tell me why you were following me around. It's not cool to spy on people." I informed him acidly.

His confession consisted of one simple word. "Elena."

"Elena?"

"Yeah, she is worried about you. About all of her friends. She's completely paranoid since Klaus came to town, she barely sleeps at night. So it went something like this; She asked me to keep an eye on everyone, I pretended not to care and went out for a drink, yada yada... That's when I happened to see you with that lunatic…"

"And Mister I-Don't-Care did care enough to go and check it out." I teased, getting back at him.

"Let's just call it sheer curiosity." He brushed it off as he started to make his way to my window.

"Sure, if that makes you happy." I used my sing-song voice.

"Watch it, Blondie." He said mockingly, smoothly opening the window when he reached it.

Luckily, I managed to stop myself from childishly sticking my tongue out at him, for he looked over his shoulder one last time before actually leaving.

"One more thing… Thank you for looking after my little brother." His face was unusually earnest all of the sudden. There was genuine gratitude in his voice. No sarcasm or indifference for once.

"Oh…" I mumbled, too taken aback to hide my astonishment.

"I know that Stefan thinks otherwise, but I do want him to recover. I need him to recover. He's the only family I've got…"

I nodded timidly, letting him know that I understood. Family and friends were important, that was one of the most valuable lessons that I had learned these past couple of months.

"Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone in this… I'll be watching him, too."

The corners of my mouth lifted up into a tiny smile as I realized that maybe Damon wasn't a lost cause after all. "That's good… Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome, I guess." Serious-Damon shifted back to mocking-Damon in less than a second. "Goodnight… Make sure to lock your window to keep out any hybrid admirers. And keep me posted… If you find out anything about Klaus that we can use, I want to be the first to know. We'll get rid of that sicko eventually." Damon shot me a last smirk, and with that he was gone.

I dutifully closed my window before falling down onto my bed with a groan, hiding my face in my pillow.

Oh my… That had been so close. Too close. I had to be careful. Also, I had to sort out my priorities. It was simply a matter of time before the Salvatores were going to try and go up against Klaus again… Would that really mean that I would have to… Pick a side? A few weeks ago, I would have said something along the lines of; What are we waiting for, let's go kill Klaus, I'll drive! Good riddance, the world doesn't need another serial killer.

But the way things were right now? The mere thought of them killing Klaus was making me sick to my stomach. I shouldn't care. He was a horrible person, and for all I knew he didn't even truly care about me. But he had gotten under my skin, and things were not that black and white anymore.

I slipped my phone out of the pocket of my jeans, for the umpteenth time wondering if I should contact Tyler… I couldn't do it. I threw the phone onto the floor and collapsed on my bed. I was too tired to even care. Despite all my worrying, I drifted off to sleep without any tossing or turning...

-xxx-

The massive wooden table that I was sitting at was all set for a very luxurious dinner. Antique plates, silver cutlery, candlesticks, crystal glasses… I glanced around the classy dining room as I waited for the meal to arrive; The rather old-fashioned yet impressive interior, the burning fireplace, the pricy paintings on the wall... I easily recognized this place. After all, I had been here before. Klaus' mansion.

To my left, a door suddenly opened, startling me. I slowly turned my head, and there stood Klaus himself. He looked divine, attractive as ever. He had chosen a black tuxedo for the occasion, and his hair was the usual golden mess. His sparkling blue eyes were watching me like a hawk as he approached me.

"Good evening, Caroline. Thank you for accepting my invitation. You won't regret coming here, I promise." His voice was sweet like honey.

He walked up to me, and I got up from my chair. He gracefully took one of my hands in his, softly placing a kiss on my knuckles. Nothing out of the ordinary; I could always count on him to use the best of him to try and sweep me off my feet.

"Sit down, sweetheart." He cooed softly.

I complied automatically, as if being compelled, even though I wasn't. For some reason, his hypnotic voice was enough to make me obey.

He sat down as well, taking the seat across from me. As if on cue, a waiter appeared. He was carrying a bottle of wine.

"Sir. Miss." The waiter said blankly, making a small bow towards us before filling both our glasses.

"Thank you, Carlton." Klaus said, dismissing him.

The waiter exited the room, and Klaus raised his glass. "To a lovely evening." He toasted.

I hesitantly picked up my own glass, touching it to his. "To a lovely evening." I agreed.

"I'm honored that you're willing to have dinner with me. You know, with most of my family gone, it gets lonely here sometimes. It's refreshing to have some company for tonight's meal. And if you don't mind me saying; The company is rather charming." He said appreciatively.

His compliments were flattering, and his admiring gaze made my spine tingle. But I had to keep in mind that this man was a killing machine. He didn't care about anyone. His acting skills were superior, but I would be a fool to believe that he was attracted to an eighteen year old newborn vampire like me.

"I can only hope that I didn't make a mistake by coming here tonight." I said, my tone almost warning.

"You can trust me." His lilting voice assured me.

"I can't be sure about that…" I protested halfheartedly.

"Yes, you can." His penetrating eyes were reflecting the light that was spread by the burning candles that were placed in the center of the dining table. "I will earn your trust, in the end."

My throat was abnormally dry, and I took a small sip of the inviting red wine before responding to his statement. "We'll see, in time."

He smiled confidently. "We will indeed."

"So… What are we having for dinner?" I asked lamely, trying to move on to a less heavy subject.

Klaus chuckled. "I'm afraid that it's a surprise. Are you hungry, love?"

"A little." I admitted.

"Not to worry, dinner will be ready soon…" He said. "Carlton!" He added in a louder voice.

Several seconds later the door opened again, and Carlton showed his face. "You called, sir?"

"Yes. The beautiful lady here is famished. Bring in our meal, please." Klaus instructed briskly.

"Certainly, sir."

Again he disappeared, and Klaus grinned at me. "It won't be long now, my love."

He was right. Carlton returned soon enough. He wasn't carrying any bowls or dishes though…

He was dragging along a young girl, a brunette that I had never seen before. From what I could tell, she was about the same age as I was. She wasn't struggling or fighting, and her face was blank, her chocolate eyes empty; Someone had compelled her, no doubt about it. Carlton handed her over to Klaus without a word, and then he left the room again.

"What's going on… What are you doing?" I demanded, wide eyes and shaky voice.

Klaus' look was oblivious, filled with fake innocence. "What does it look like we're doing? We're going to have dinner. That's why you're here, isn't it? To have dinner with me." He was lightly holding the girl's arm, and he pushed her in my direction as if offering me a snack.

"No! You… You can't… You know that I never…" I stuttered. "I assumed that you were talking about a different kind of meal."

He shook his head, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "You shouldn't just assume things, Caroline. The same as you shouldn't abandon your true nature. You're a vampire, whether you like it or not. We feed on human blood, love. That's what we do."

"No!" I exclaimed again, getting up from the table. "That's what you do! I don't. You can't change me…"

"Too bad." Klaus said indifferently. "Ah well, you know what that means… More for me."

And with that he pulled the girl back in, lowering his head to plunge his razor sharp teeth into her neck. He moved so fast that I couldn't have stopped him if I'd wanted to. The girl let out a deafening cry. I did the same. I was screaming out my lungs…

"Caroline! Sweety, wake up!" My mom's familiar voice saved me from the horrible nightmare. She was shaking me gently. "It's okay. You're having a bad dream."

I was panting as I sat up in my bed, trying to catch my breath as my mom smoothed out my hair.

"I heard you screaming… That must have been one hell of a nightmare." She concluded.

I slowly breathed in and out, staring at nothing in particular as I gradually calmed down.

"Believe me, mom… This one was as bad as they come…"

So there it was, more proof that I had to stop seeing Klaus. I would never fully trust him. I would never succeed at changing him. I would never be able to forget about his horrible past.

I now knew which side I had to pick if it ever came down to that, and it was not his side…


	11. Deal

The next day, my horrible nightmare just wouldn't stop haunting me. The image of Klaus killing that innocent girl kept flashing through my head every ten minutes or so. I couldn't shake it, despite the fact that it hadn't even actually happened. At first I felt guilty about that, but the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that he had probably killed god knows how many people since I'd last seen him. And that was less than twenty-four hours ago...

School dragged on and on. It also didn't help that I had to stay after hours because I was president of the dance committee. Spring Dance was only a few weeks away, and there were still so many details that we needed to work out. Silly as it seemed for a vampire to care about mundane human things like a dance, I sometimes still had trouble letting go of my old life. Not to mention, it was good to have a distraction from the supernatural every now and then.

My head was filled with Spring Dance ideas as I finally stepped into the almost empty parking lot, ready to go home. I was too deep in thought to even notice that I was not entirely alone. I felt a knot in my stomach as I suddenly spotted the figure that was motionlessly standing beside my car. I slowed my pace, but my feet kept moving towards the car all the same.

Klaus was casually leaning against the passenger door, regarding me with an almost-smile. When there was minimal distance left between us, I feverishly looked around to make sure that no one was watching us.

"What are you doing here?" I asked urgently. "What if someone sees you?"

Klaus shrugged away from the car, taking a step in my direction. There was even less space between us now, and I wasn't sure whether to feel excited or horrified about it.

His smile grew a bit more pronounced, but he also seemed to be a somewhat unsure as he contemplated what he was going to say to me. That was not like him. At all. Klaus was confident, cocky and very sure of himself. No exceptions. I expectantly lifted one of my eyebrows at him.

After what felt like forever, his answer made an end to the ever growing tension that was hanging in the air. "Yes, well… Would it sound awfully cheesy if I told you that I just needed to see you?"

I couldn't believe my ears.

Cheesy? No, not at all. I'd say it's cute. So very, very cute… My fuzzy brain thought.

"That is by far the cheesiest thing I've heard in my life." My big mouth blabbed out.

He chuckled, and he slowly blinked at me with those spectacular blue eyes. "Yes, I was fearing you would say that. That doesn't make it any less true, though."

I averted my eyes, afraid to look at him as I responded to his flattering statement. I would have to tell him about my decision eventually. Putting it off any longer would only make it harder. "I wish I could believe you... But even if I did, I think it would be best for us to stop seeing each other..."

"What? Says who?" He demanded bluntly. "And please look at me." He added in a softer voice.

I reluctantly complied, slyly glancing up at him. "Says no one… I've decided that for myself."

"Why?" He questioned.

He was sounding more baffled than angry as he awaited my explanation. I could see why; The other night he had told me that I had to make my own choices, but he surely hadn't expected me to turn him down this quickly.

I took a shallow breath as I deliberated. What would be the most harmless way to tell a serial killer that you didn't want to see him anymore because he was, well… a serial killer. No girly magazine ever discussed complicated issues such as this one. Compared to this, a cheating boyfriend or a boring relationship was not that big of a problem.

I opted to settle for the inconvenient truth. "Because I can't change you. And you can't change me."

His heavy frown indicated that this was not enough of an explanation, not as far as he was concerned.

"I mean… Our lives are too different, and I can't live with the fact that you… Really, I don't know how to say this!" I muttered wearily.

Klaus uttered one simple word. "Honesty."

"Okay… Fine then. How many people did you kill in… Well, let's say the last three days?" I challenged.

If he was unhappy about the turn that our conversation had taken, he did a magnificent job at hiding it.

"Have there been any killings in Mystical Falls these last three days?" Was his direct yet calm reply.

"No… But I…" I sighed, tongue-tied once again.

Klaus gazed intently at me, unsmiling. "If there's one crucial fact that you should know about me, Caroline, it's that I never do things halfway. I genuinely want to give it my best shot to get you to like me, and I'm aware that I won't achieve my goal by killing the people who qualify as your friends or acquaintances."

Oh, how convincing he could be when he wanted to. Unfortunately, I doubted if any of his smooth words were ever going to be enough to truly put my mind at ease.

"I don't know what to say. To be honest, I don't know anything anymore." I admitted tiredly.

"You know what? Why don't we discuss this somewhere else?" Klaus proposed, taking a brisk look around the deserted parking lot.

"Somewhere else, where?" I asked suspiciously.

He smiled one of his most charming smiles. "My place. I recall you telling me that you like horses… So how about horseback-riding?"

This man was evil. He couldn't have come up with a better way to get my attention. I had to work hard to not sound overenthusiastic.

"I… I don't think I'm any good at riding a horse." Was my lousy defense.

"You've never even tried?" He verified.

"I rode a pony once, back when I was five years old. I fell off twice, and ripped my new dress." I confessed.

He let out a loud, mocking laugh.

"That's not funny, mister! It so happens that I loved that dress." I complained, scowling at him.

He held up his hands, as if surrendering. "I'm sorry, love. That must have been a very traumatic experience. But we could do something about that… What you need, is a skilled teacher."

"And by skilled teacher, you mean yourself?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

He smirked. "I'll make sure you won't fall…"

My defense cracked. I was such a hopeless pushover when it came to him.

"Alright, fine!"

His answering smile was radiant. "Excellent! I didn't bring a car, so I could use a ride…"

-xxx-

I glassily watched the road as I drove in the general direction of Klaus' mansion. I was such an egg. I had caved, for the millionth time. Sure, I had agreed to come with him… But now it was starting to sink in that I was just making the same mistakes over and over again. Of course he had claimed that he hadn't killed anyone recently… But a centuries-old Original wasn't going to change overnight.

"Something is bothering you. I presume that it has something to do with me, so you might as well tell me what has you worried." The attractive sound of his voice abruptly pulled me out of my musings.

"I don't feel like sharing."

"Why not… By now you should know that you can always be honest with me." He pressed.

I let out a small groan, both because of his words and because of a traffic light that caused me to stop.

"You know, you keep talking about honesty, but what if you were to be truly honest with yourself? Do you think that we have any chance to make it as a couple?" I asked flatly, letting out some of my frustrations.

"I think we do." He said confidently, only making me more frustrated.

The red light turned to green, and I started driving again. I couldn't keep my mouth shut any longer. I had to get this out of the way, otherwise it would never stop bugging me.

"Oh come on, be realistic here! You will never be a saint, I know that. And I'm not saying that I'm looking for a saint, but there's a huge difference between a saint and a murderer! Sure, you might not have killed anyone lately, if you were telling me the truth, that is… But you won't be able to keep it up for long. Old habits die hard, everybody knows that. So let's hear it, Klaus… Be honest."

He remained quiet, but I didn't dare to look at him. I just kept driving, until I saw the turnoff that led to his oversized house. When the mansion came into sight, I parked the car without a word. I turned off the engine, and the silence was deafening. I didn't know how I managed to do it, but I gathered the nerve to look him in the eye.

His face was a carefully composed mask. No anger, unlike what I had assumed at first. He turned his head as well, our eyes connecting.

"You're right." He whispered.

I let out a shaky breath, feeling relieved. It seemed that I was forgiven.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." I could afford to throw in a little sarcasm now that I knew that he had taken it rather well.

He rolled his eyes, but didn't lose his patience. "You're right. I'm not being fair. I keep telling you to be honest, and yet I can't seem to do it myself. I should've known that you would never settle for anything less than the whole truth and nothing but the truth. After all, that's what I like about you… You're too smart to let me fool you."

I chewed my bottom lip.

"There are many issues that need to be addressed." He added unwillingly.

"Then consider this your second chance… Be honest with me." I said softly.

He swallowed visibly. "I told you that I didn't kill anyone during the past three days… The truth is that I didn't kill anyone near Mystic Falls. I made sure that you were not connected to any of the victims I made, by hunting in another area. I don't want to hurt you, which indirectly means that I don't want to hurt the people that you care about... But you were right on target when you mentioned that I can't simply change. Hell, I've lived like this for centuries..."

I kept my face in check as I listened to his confession. Truth be told, I had expected as much.

"So yes, we are different, extremely so… And it's going to be one nasty task to make this work." He stated quietly.

I sighed, glad that he finally understood that we couldn't just ignore our differences. "That's what I've been trying to tell you all along…"

"You will never be able to settle for a tiny piece of humanity, correct me if I'm wrong." Klaus called it as it was.

"You're not wrong…"

"So there really isn't much hope for us, is there?" He seemed to be honestly disappointed.

"I think you know the answer to that one yourself. I mean… Let's say, for argument's sake, that I would find a way to put aside all the horrible things you've done… Let's say that I'm the kind of person who can look to the future without dwelling on the past… Even then, I could never live with the idea that you… I guess what I'm trying to say is… Whenever you're not with me, I will be wondering if you're out somewhere, killing someone." I had some trouble forming coherent sentences, but I think I got my point across.

His lips turned into a tight line, but his blue eyes were curiously appraising me as I was coming clean.

There was a short moment of silence, but he broke it before I could do so myself.

"So that's what it comes down to, then… You need me to go on that bunny-diet of yours, or else there is no point in us being together." He listed what he suspected were my conditions, his tone letting me know that he would never be able to meet those standards.

"I never said that." I disagreed. "I'm not saying you can't have human blood... Rob a blood bank for all I care, the Salvatores do it all the time. In my opinion, stealing doesn't fit into the same category as taking lives."

There was a distant look in his eyes as he seemed to gaze straight through me. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought that he was seriously considering to make some changes. But that was absurd. No one could ever convince Klaus to change his ways, not even someone as persistent as drama queen Caroline Forbes.

"Does the same go for feeding and healing?" He asked out of the blue, snapping out of his trance. "In case that I lose control… After all, you said it yourself; Old habits die hard."

A rather hysterical laugh escaped me. This man was unbelievable... But at the same time I wondered if we were still discussing a hypothetical case, or if was referring to reality.

"I suppose it beats slaughtering." I said with a sour smile as I remembered the time when I'd just met Damon, who had done the very same thing to me. It had not been very pleasant, but I had survived…

I wasn't even done rearranging my messy thoughts, when he stunned me with his next statement.

"It's a deal." Was all he said.

"Come again?" I asked, confused as to what he was referring to.

"I said… It's a deal. No more pointless killings."

All I could do was stare at him. This couldn't actually be happening. This had to be some sort of weird dream. I knew that he claimed to 'fancy me', but did he really care that much? He had to have some kind of hidden agenda. This couldn't possibly be about me…

"Just like that?" I asked when I could speak again.

"Just like that." He confirmed. "But since we're making a deal here, you will have to do your part as well… What I want in return, is for you to tell me that you are prepared to put some serious effort into making it work between the two of us."

I blinked at him, dazed.

"Well… What do you say?" He said, his eyes holding me captive, not allowing me to look anywhere but at him.

"How can I be sure that you mean it… How do I know that you're telling me the truth?"

His mouth curled up into one of his tempting smiles. "Is this the face of a liar?" He asked, some humor in his voice.

"Yes..." I muttered, involuntarily snorting at his joke. "But I suppose that if I'm willing to give you a chance, it would have to start with me giving you the benefit of the doubt."

"Does that mean that we have a deal?" He asked, face hopeful.

"No more pointless killings?" I probed one more time.

"You have my word. And I'm a man who always keeps his word." He clarified.

"I'm counting on that… So… Shake on it?" I joked, suddenly fed up with all the serious talk.

His grin turned into a genuine smile. "Sure, why not. Let's make it official."

I tentatively placed my hand in his, and he shook it gently.

A part of me was fearing that I'd just made a deal with the devil. Nevertheless, there was also that other part… The part that would forever remain restless if I hadn't at least tried to investigate if there could be something more between him and me.

My friends were never going to forgive me if they ever found out what was truly going on… But then again, this was my life. Maybe my mom was right… I had to stop living for others, and think about what I wanted to do with this eternity that I had in front of me.

He interrupted my silent worrying. "Alright, how about we move on to less serious matters now, Miss Forbes? I promised that I would teach you how to ride a horse... Are you still interested?"

I nervously laughed at his invitation. "Are you for real? Now?"

"Now works as well as any time. And please keep in mind our deal… You swore that you were going to try your very best to make things work between us." He said teasingly.

"Okay… Let's do it! I didn't bring any spare clothes though." I warned lightheartedly, reminding him about the ripped dress.

"Oh, not to worry, love. I swear that I won't let you fall. Ever."

The atmosphere shifted considerably, and the burning look in his eyes suddenly became fairly more earnest than this particular conversation demanded. I realized that he wasn't just talking about horses anymore...

His promise went much further than that, and I was so close to believing him. All there was left for me to do now, was to desperately hope that he would come through…


	12. Trust

I was overcome by a peculiar sort of fear as Klaus and I were strolling the gardens of the impressive mansion, heading for the stables. Fear, because all of this was beginning to feel eerily normal. Comfortable even. I used to feel anxious and on my guard whenever he was near to me, but those emotions were slowly fading away, making place for feelings that were of a different kind entirely…

"You're not scared, are you?" Klaus checked as we came to a stop in front of the stables.

"No… If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't have come with you in the first place." I instantly defended myself without thinking.

I glanced sideways, finding that he unsuccessfully tried to hide his smirk. "I was talking about riding horses."

I blushed furiously, feeling like an idiot. "Right… I knew that."

He subtly chuckled as he gestured for me to follow him. I hesitantly tagged along as he entered the stables. Once inside, I spotted five magnificent horses. They were curiously eyeing us, some of them making soft noises. Three of them were a dark shade of brown, one was entirely black, and another one was the fairest shade of white.

Klaus pointed in the direction of the white horse. "Dawn is the one we want… She's very calm and friendly. I'm positive that the two of you will get along just fine."

"Dawn…" I murmured. "That's a beautiful name… Then again, she's a beautiful horse..."

"A beautiful horse for a beautiful girl, an excellent combination, don't you think?" He complimented me in that ever-present accent of his.

He was smiling at me as he led Dawn out of the stall that had a sign with her name on it.

I didn't even know how to respond to that, and so I silently watched in fascination as he saddled the horse. He did so without any difficulties, giving away that he had done this many times before.

"She's ready." He announced when he was done. "Let's go."

Klaus was holding the reins, gently tugging Dawn along as we stepped outside. The sun hadn't set yet, and the air was heavy and warm. It wasn't unpleasant though, and Dawn seemed to agree with me on that one, neighing happily as the sun touched her shiny hair.

"So… Do you want to move on to the serious stuff right away, or should we start with a harmless introduction?" Klaus asked, cocking his head in Dawn's direction.

My eyes were assessing Dawn while I considered my options. She appeared to be kind and cooperating… But that didn't take away the fact that she wasn't exactly small, and that I had no experience whatsoever.

I chose safety. "I think I'm going to go with the harmless introduction."

"Very well then… Let's get you on that horse." He said, clearly amused as he caught the -without a doubt stressed out- expression on my face.

"I don't even know how to!" I exclaimed as my knees practically started to shake.

"I'll help you." He volunteered.

"Can I have another minute to think about it?"

Without a warning, Klaus burst out in laughter.

"It's not funny! I've never done this before." I reminded him.

"I'm sorry, love." He said, recovering quickly. "It's just that I find this situation highly ironic…"

I arched my eyebrows. "Ironic how?"

He gave me a skeptical look. "You're not at all afraid to be alone with the most dangerous man ever to roam this earth, but the idea of getting onto a horse frightens you."

I pulled a face at him. "I don't know what it is! Perhaps I'm traumatized after all."

"Alright… Change of tactics then." Klaus said cheerfully, sounding almost thrilled.

"What does that mean?" I asked cautiously.

He didn't answer me. Instead, he gracefully climbed onto Dawn's back. The movement was so fast that I would've missed it if I had blinked.

"See, there's nothing to it." He said playfully, grinning at me.

"That's easy for you to say, you've done it a gazillion times." I protested.

"I can't argue with that." He allowed. "But here's some good advice… If you stay calm, the horse will feel that you're at ease, and she will remain calm as well."

"Sure… Whatever." I mumbled.

I fully realized that this was silly. Or more like ridiculous. I was a vampire. I healed easily. My reflexes were fabulous. This hysteria of mine was irrational, but Klaus' patience never wavered. He reached out to me, offering me his hand.

"Come on, love. Your turn." He simply said.

His eyes were boring into mine, attempting to win me over.

"You want me to join you so you can take me away on your white horse?" I said mockingly, implying that all of this was seriously messed up.

"Yes. And you'd better hurry up, otherwise we won't be in time for the happily ever after." His astonishingly light mood made him joke along.

I was conflicted. Some fairytales just weren't meant to happen… Regardless, I couldn't resist, and I timidly took his hand. Before I had another second to think anything through, he pulled me onto the horse. I squeaked loudly, but he ignored it, positioning me on the horse's back. I wildly glanced around, my hands rigidly clinging to the edge of the saddle. The height wasn't exactly comforting, but he was sitting right behind me, his strong arms enveloping me, keeping me safe.

"Not that terrifying, is it?" He whispered, his cool breath tickling my ear.

I briefly closed my eyes, reveling in the feeling of him being this close to me. If my heart had still been beating, it would've freaked out by now. Something this wrong shouldn't feel this divine. I stiffly tried to sit up straight, hoping to create some distance between us, if only a little bit.

"Remember what I said, relax." Klaus hinted, probably sensing that I was very tense.

"Yeah, yeah, I know." I replied dismissively, not informing him that my stiff position had little to do with the horse.

I was very aware of his arms, still holding me close to him, protecting me. Aware of his breath, caressing my hair. Aware of my back, loosely resting against his chest.

"It will get easier, you know. It's all a matter of trust, you'll get used to it." He murmured against my hair.

I didn't bother to ask if he was even talking about sitting on a horse. Perceptive as he was, he was probably referring to something else, knowing exactly what was going on inside my mind.

"It's getting better…" I whispered honestly.

"Good. I promise you that it will all turn out fine. You have nothing to fear." There unmistakably was a smile in his voice now. "Are you ready to get moving?"

"Sure… Let's get this show on the road."

"Here we go, love. Just remain seated and enjoy the ride." He encouraged.

He ordered Dawn to start moving in a firm yet friendly enough voice. The horse immediately complied, and I concentrated on staying in place. Not that I truly needed to; Klaus made sure that the chances of me falling off of Dawn's back were slim to none. One of his hands was holding the reins, and the other one was protectively wrapped around my waist... And so I followed his advice, hesitantly relaxing against him. My hands changed position as well, holding on to his arm instead of clinging to the saddle.

"That's better." He said softly.

"Uh-huh." I mumbled, for the first time taking a better look at our surroundings.

Trees and bushes were rushing by as Dawn picked up the pace. We reached the meadow that started at the end of the Mikealson property, and not too far away I could make out the edge of the forest. The view from here was nothing short of amazing, I couldn't deny that. Klaus instructed Dawn to slow down, and I gladly took the opportunity to take in the beautiful piece of nature that was spreading out in front of us.

"This is much better than I imagined it would be." I said truthfully, closing my eyes for a moment and relishing the cool breeze that stroked my cheeks.

"I'm glad you think so. You know sometimes, it's hard to let go of the things that you've always believed to be right… But there's a fine line between wrong and right… Crossing the line isn't easy, but it might be worth taking the risk." He was speaking in his usual riddles. "How grateful I am that you're willing to try and cross the line." He added unexpectedly.

"I'm trying… There might come a day when I will learn to trust you completely." I responded as I realized what he meant.

"And I will prove that I'm worthy of your trust."

"And I sincerely hope that you will." I said thoughtfully. "But right now I'm just trying to get used to the idea of you not being the enemy…"

Klaus snickered. "I suppose it is a rather big change for you."

I let out a short laugh as well. "You can say that again... Less than a month ago, the sound of your name was enough to give me the creeps."

"Is that so?"

"Yes… And even now, whenever someone mentions you, I can't help but associate your name with something negative." For some reason, opening up to him wasn't as tough as it had been before.

"Well, you're allowed to call me Nik if you find that less scary." He suggested dryly.

Again I laughed. "That would sound like we're lifelong best friends, so I'm not sure if that's an improvement."

We reached the edge of the forest, and Klaus directed Dawn to take the small path that disappeared between the trees.

He had been momentarily distracted, but that didn't stop him from reacting to my last statement. "We could be… Friends, I mean."

I didn't directly reject that scenario. "Who knows... One day. I'm not saying never, so much has changed already… I can hardly keep up myself. One moment you're my biggest enemy, and the next… I still don't get how it happened in the first place… Or when it happened…"

I suddenly felt how his arms tightened around me, and his hand gently took mine. He intertwined our fingers, and I let him. "If you asked me when it happened… I would tell you about the night that I saved a stunning girl from a fatal werewolf bite."

I swallowed thickly as I recalled that life changing night. For several moments there was a silence, the only one producing sound being Dawn, who was huffing lightly as we went deeper into the woods.

"I guess I never properly thanked you for that..." I eventually said.

"You were dying at my hand." He stated shamefully.

"I know. Nevertheless, you could've let me die. Which makes me wonder… Why didn't you? Why did you even bother to save me? You never told me." I was curious to hear what had been his motivation to keep me from dying that night, seeing as he didn't even really know me back then.

"I'm not sure… That night, I came to your house without any selfish reasons. I didn't come to make a deal, or get something out of the situation. I'll admit that, for a moment, I even scared myself. I never cared about any of my victims, so why would you be any different? I can't tell you why, but you being the collateral damage was something that I couldn't accept." His voice was soft and gentle, possibly the most human that I'd ever heard it.

His explanation wasn't very satisfying though, and I continued my interrogation. "You seriously don't know why?"

"No... But what if I told you that I like to believe that it was fate… All I knew was that I had to save you, even though I couldn't grasp why. My gut feeling was telling me that I had to do it, and every single day I'm thankful for going with my intuition..."

"Wow… That's a very irrational thought coming from a rational person like you." I blurted out unthinkingly.

"Didn't see that one coming, did you?"

"Not at all."

"Perfect, I enjoy surprising you. In a positive way, that is." He said, sounding pleased with himself.

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're one of a kind, I'll give you that."

I absentmindedly gazed into the enchanting forest, noticing that it was getting darker. Even though the sky was hiding behind the trees, it was clear that the sun was about to set. Klaus brought Dawn to a stop, and made her turn around.

"We should go back. It's getting late, and Dawn could use a break as well." He concluded.

I nodded in agreement. By now I was abnormally comfortable, getting used to being on the back of a horse. Getting used to being in his arms… My hand was still holding his, and I was lazily resting against his chest. With each day that passed it was getting harder to see him as the enemy. And surreal as it was, at the same time it was getting easier to see him as the future…

-xxx-

We were standing at the front door of the mansion, ready to say our goodbyes. After we had returned, Klaus had politely offered me a drink. I had politely accepted, and we had talked some more about serious and less serious subjects. But alas, all good things were bound to come to an end at some point. It came to my attention that I didn't want to leave. I got the impression that he didn't want me to leave. But I had to, I knew that. It was almost midnight, and other than that, I had already pushed so many limits today.

"Well… Thank you for having me here. That was really something." I smiled at him.

He instantly returned my smile, his blue eyes lighting up. "It was my pleasure."

He was standing in the doorway, casually leaning against the side. We were gazing at each other, both unwilling to break the connection by looking away.

"I should go." I said unnecessarily.

He gave me another smile. "I know, sweetheart."

I reluctantly turned away from him, hesitantly descending the porch steps. When reaching the last step, I turned on my heels, facing him again. He hadn't moved an inch. He was still standing in the very same position, watching me, his handsome face filled with admiration. Our deal came back to mind. I had promised to give it my best shot, hadn't I?

I swiftly ran back up the steps, not giving myself any time to be a coward and change my mind. I closed the distance between us, and he curiously raised his eyebrows.

"Is something wrong, love?"

Without a word I stood on my tiptoes, closing the final gap. I carefully touched my lips to his, giving him an innocent yet sweet goodnight kiss. We both closed our eyes for a split second, and then I quickly pulled back. When he opened his eyes, they were cautious but mild.

"What did I do to deserve that?" He questioned after a moment of silence, glancing up at me from under his lashes.

I shrugged, feigning nonchalance while answering him, even though my lips were still burning from that one simple touch. "I told you that I would try my very best to make things work between us. You wanted me to put in some serious effort. So… Consider this me keeping my part of the bargain, Nik."

He blinked in astonishment as I called him 'Nik'. It was my way of refreshing his memory. I reminded him about our earlier conversation, letting him know that I could be his friend if he could figure out a way to keep in touch with his long lost humanity.

"I can't put to words how much I appreciate everything you're doing." He said, tone deeply sincere.

I shook my head. "That's okay. Because I don't need words. I need actions. I fully intend to stick to the deal, but you will have to do the same."

One of his hands found its way to my face, tenderly stroking my cheek. His eyes were holding mine, solemn and earnest as he spoke. "And I will, Caroline. I won't let you down. I swear..."


	13. Need

That night, he starred in my dreams. My blurry mind failed to conjure up all the details, but I did know that they were not the frightening kind of dreams that I'd had before. I dreamed about the feeling of his lips against mine. About his strong arms holding me. About beautiful drawings. About trips around the world. Paris, Rome, Tokyo; Anywhere was fine, as long as he was there with me. In my dreams, the only thing that truly mattered was the fact that I needed him to be a part of my life.

When waking up in the morning, I immediately reached for my wrist, checking if the bracelet was still there. Sure enough it was, and I sighed, feeling deeply relieved. At least this dream of mine had not entirely been a figment of my imagination...

I got up, stretching and yawing as my eyes randomly landed on the vanity that was positioned on the other side of my room. A cream-colored piece of paper caught my attention. I slowly crossed the room, hesitantly picking it up. The excitement that I felt was foolish, but I felt it nonetheless...

The sketch that he'd left me was beautiful, as well as very realistic. The drawing showed me and him as we were riding Dawn. He had thought of everything; The outfit that I'd been wearing yesterday, the sloppy ponytail in my hair, his bracelet secured to my wrist… I suddenly noticed that there were also a few words in his impeccable handwriting.

'Good morning, love. Thank you for spending some time with me yesterday.'

I should've been upset, because this was solid proof that he'd entered my bedroom while I had been fast asleep. But then again, he had been here before. He had seen me at my worst, that night when I'd been dying from the werewolf bite. Was there really anything left that I needed to hide from him?

I shook my head, as if trying to shake out my thoughts. It didn't work. It was too late. Nothing would get him out of my mind now. All of his words, all of his promises… They were carved into my brain. I so didn't feel like going on with my everyday life while all I wanted was to see him again. Oh no… How did I get here? He was awakening feelings within me that I had never experienced with anyone. Not even Tyler, or Matt… And they were good guys. Guys that you could count on, guys that you could truly trust. Something was seriously wrong with me…

Coming to the conclusion that I was already a lost cause anyway, I sent him a text message like the lovesick teenager that he had turned me into.

'Good morning to you, too. I love the drawing... And you're very welcome.'

-xxx-

School today was brutal. Klaus was dominating my every thought, despite me trying so hard to ignore it. He ran around inside my head while I was driving my car on my way to Mystic Falls high. He remained right there as I tried to survive my morning classes. He was still there when it was time for lunch break…

I was sitting at a small table with Bonnie and Elena, staring at my chicken salad instead of actually eating it. The three of us were talking about Bonnie's mother, and about how she was adjusting, seeing as going from a witch to a vampire was kind of a huge deal. Bonnie was also talking about Jamie. A lot. After Abby had gone back home, Jamie had offered to keep an eye on her. He had also promised to keep in touch with Bonnie to let her know if everything was working out. He called at least once a day, and my female intuition told me that she liked him as much more than a potential stepbrother. Or maybe it wasn't my intuition, but the way I could hear her heart go wild whenever she mentioned the dude.

The sound of Bonnie's cellphone interrupted our conversation, and when she flipped it out of her purse, I saw her face heat up. Her heart started racing again, and so there was no need for me to ask who was calling her.

"I have to take this, guys…" She mumbled, looking flustered.

I smiled knowingly at her. "Sure, go ahead. Tell Jamie we said hi."

She swiftly got up from her chair, skipping out of the crowded cafeteria in order to find a more quiet place to answer the phone.

Elena grinned at me. "I haven't seen Bonnie this happy in such a long time." She said, making it clear that she also knew what was going on.

I nodded, agreeing completely. "I think it's great that she's into Jamie… She can use some romance after all the drama in her life. If anyone deserves it, it's her."

"Definitely. Although this is bound to be another complicated relationship." Elena mused, a slightly worried frown on her face.

"Maybe so… But then again, when are relationships ever easy?" I asked rhetorically, rolling my eyes.

Elena laughed as she realized that her statement was rather ironic. "Good point."

"Speaking of which… Has Stefan talked to you yet?" I checked.

"Yes, he did. As a matter of fact, he even accepted my support when I offered to help him to get his control back." She informed me, sounding relieved.

"That's great… He needs all the help he can get."

"He does… But he has you, and me… And surprisingly enough, he has Damon." Elena said, her tone somewhat uncertain.

"Are Damon and you on speaking terms again?" I asked cautiously.

She pulled a face. "Sort of… Business only though, nothing personal or friendly… But he told me that he does want to help Stefan, which is good, I suppose. Maybe he's finally taking a break from pushing people away."

"I also spoke to Damon the other day, and he told me the same thing… I believe him, Elena. He just wants his brother back." I tried to put her mind at ease.

She suddenly narrowed her eyes at me, as if recalling something vitally important. "That's right… Damon mentioned that he paid you a visit. He told me about your plan to trick Klaus."

My stomach flipped at the sound of his name. "Oh yes, that… That's… I'm not sure if any of it will even work out… We'll see."

I attempted to wave the subject away, since it was a big fat lie to begin with. I didn't want anything to do with any plans involving Klaus' demise. I couldn't even stand the idea of him ceasing to exist...

"Are you kidding me, Caroline?" Elena said earnestly, refusing to let it go like I wanted her to. "You're putting yourself in danger here. I don't want anything to happen to you! It's a bad idea to spend so much alone time with him! Klaus is a psychopath, he could kill you in a heartbeat!" She argued, agitatedly raising her voice.

I took a deep breath, contemplating if I could trust her with the truth… Yeah, as if! I couldn't trust anyone with the truth, not even my best friends. This was Klaus we were talking about. He used Elena as his personal tool to create his precious hybrids. God, I needed to talk to him about that, because that was honestly not okay. Wait, did I seriously just think that? As if he would allow me to lecture him… Focus, Caroline!

All things aside, there was no way I was going to tell Elena that I was falling in love with him. My best option was to give her a small part of the truth, if only enough to ease her worries.

"To be honest, I don't think he will ever hurt me… You mustn't worry." I said confidently.

"You don't know that! He's disturbed, Caroline! Before you know it he flips a switch and goes straight into killer-mode. Don't get me wrong, I want nothing more than to find a way to kill Klaus, but not at your expense…" Elena eyed me skeptically. "And since when do you use words like 'mustn't'?" She added disbelievingly, her frown deepening.

I pressed my lips together in horror. That Original was starting to rub off on me.

"I watched some old movie last night." I lied pathetically. "But I meant what I said… Klaus doesn't want to harm me. As insane as it sounds, I think that he truly cares about me. In his own weird way…"

Elena's jaw basically dropped to the floor. "Wait… Is that feeling mutual?" She questioned, directing a penetrating stare at me, trying to force the truth out of me.

"What? Hell no!" I exclaimed, attempting to sound both shocked and offended.

"Sorry… Just checking." She was quick to apologize.

Thankfully Bonnie returned before Elena could do any more grilling. She flashed us the biggest smile imaginable as she fell back into her chair.

"Guess what… Abby's doing pretty well, so she can go without a babysitter for a night..." She grinned suggestively.

"Spill!" Elena and I demanded simultaneously.

"Jamie's coming over tonight, he said that it would be nice to see each other in person again, instead of all this talking over the phone." She filled us in.

"Date alert!" I concluded teasingly.

"She's right, that sounds an awful lot like a date." Elena backed me up.

Bonnie smirked. "Actually, I don't think I would mind that…"

Bonnie's maybe-date with Jamie was enough for us girls to launch into a conversation about clothes, hair and make-up.

As we discussed the perfect outfit, I briefly felt a sting of jealousy. If I'd had a crush on a normal person, I could've shared my happiness with my girlfriends, like Bonnie was doing at this very moment. It sucked that I had to keep this inside while it was such a prominent part of my life right now...

I was distracted when my phone buzzed in my pocket. I subtly pulled it out while Elena and Bonnie reached the topic 'hair up or down'. Stupid butterflies were terrorizing my stomach as I read Klaus' reaction to the message that I had texted him this morning.

'I'm glad you liked it. I promise you that we will soon create new memories to inspire many more drawings.'

How was it that he always picked precisely the right words without even trying? Could this man be any more charming? A goofy smile formed around my lips before I could help myself, and of course Elena caught me in the act.

"What's that?" She asked curiously.

I had to bite my tongue as my two best friends were looking expectantly at me. "Nothing. It's not important… Just my mom being silly. Long story." I muttered.

Apparently they swallowed my excuse, for they continued the hair conversation without digging any further.

I could never talk about this with them; It was plain as day that they wouldn't understand. I had never been one for keeping secrets from my friends, but some things were better left unsaid…

-xxx-

I had to see him. Needed to see him. I had come home after a rough day at school and a long hunting trip, and currently I was restlessly pacing the living room back and forth. I was at a loss what to do. I couldn't just visit him, now could I? Surely he wouldn't appreciate it if I showed up at his mansion, again. He would think that I was some kind of creepy stalker… On the other hand, the same could be said for him; Sneaking into my room after midnight.

I froze in place as my mom poked her head around the door. I hadn't even heard her come home.

"Honey?" She asked hesitantly, sounding rather anxious.

My head snapped up, looking straight into her concerned face. "Yes?" I said, voice unusually high.

She sighed. "We have to talk… I think we should sit down."

I threw her a suspicious glance, sensing that some bad news was coming up.

She sat down on the couch, her face stuck in a permanent frown. She gestured at the vacant space to her left. "Please, Caroline. I have to tell you something, and it might be a bit of a shock."

That was enough for me to comply and sit down with her. "What's going on?" I asked, alarmed.

"It's about your father…" She started warily.

My mouth turned dry as she brought him up. "What about him?" I urged, nervously twisting and untwisting my fingers while I awaited her answer.

Her tired eyes were showing nothing but sadness as she proceeded. "We found out who killed him..."

Her statement hit me like a bullet in the back.

"Really? Who was it?" I demanded coldly, my mind already coming up with various plans to deal with whoever it was that murdered my father.

She hesitated, covering my hand with her own. For a split second I feared that she was going to say the one name that I didn't want to hear… But she didn't.

"It was Alaric. We found out that he's the one behind all the mysterious killings."

"What?" I breathed, gawking at her. "Ric? He would never do that…"

"That was my first reaction as well." My mother confessed, gently stroking my hand. "But it turns out that there's something strange going on with that ring of his. You know, the one that keeps him from dying… He keeps having these blackouts, during which he tries to kill council members." She explained.

One of my hands covered my mouth, and I slowly shook my head. "It can't be…" I whispered.

She put her arm around me, gently rubbing my shoulder. "I know this is hard to accept… But you have to understand that it's not truly his fault… That ring is affecting his brain… He doesn't know what he's doing, we're going to try and see if we can find a cure…"

"Oh god…" I uttered. "That's… horrible. Why didn't Elena tell me?"

"She didn't know for sure, up until now there only were some vague suspicions. But when Elena got home an hour ago, she found out that he had tried to kill his friend Meredith Fell who was keeping an eye on him."

My eyes were getting watery. "That's… I don't even know what to say…"

"I know, sweety." My mom sighed. "It's horrible. Ric's a good guy… And of course, Elena is devastated… But we will do whatever it takes to help him."

She gave me a brief but firm hug before tentatively getting up from the couch.

"Are you leaving?" I asked shakily.

She grimaced apologetically. "I'm so sorry, I have to go… There are so many things that still have to be arranged. I just wanted to tell you in person."

"I understand…" I muttered. "Thanks, mom."

"Hang in there, sweetheart. I promise that I will try to be back as soon as I can." She vowed.

And with that she left.

I stared around the deserted room, dazed. Outside it was starting to get dark, and the silence of the empty house consumed me. My thoughts were running wild. It was Ric... How the hell was I going to deal with that? On the rare occasions that I had pictured my father's murderer, I had imagined him to be a monstrous vampire or a vicious serial killer… But Ric… All of the sudden, getting revenge didn't seem like a satisfying project anymore.

I dragged myself off of the couch, going back to my anxious pacing. I considered calling someone, so I could let out some of my frustrations. But who?

Elena? Definitely not… She had just found out that her guardian had killed several innocents for no reason at all… I could imagine all too well that she needed some alone time.  
Bonnie? No way, I wasn't going to ruin her date with Jamie.  
Tyler? Certainly not, if I called him now, I was in for one heavy conversation, and I wouldn't be able to handle that right now.

Jeez, who was I trying to fool here? There was only one person that I truly longed to talk to… Unfortunately, aforementioned Original hybrid was most likely not a pro when it came to emotions, or to comforting others. I couldn't even blame him; I was already thankful that he was gradually trying to turn his life around, if only one tiny step at a time.

I huffed as I ascended the stairs, settling for going to my room, so I could sulk there in peace. I roughly opened the door, but gasped loudly when I realized that I had company...

Klaus was leaning against my windowsill, still as a stone. His mesmerizing blue eyes were examining me closely as he took a small step forward. He didn't speak. Neither did I. Normally, I would have given him some snappy remark, or at the very least I would have accused him of spying on me. However, not this time. I needed him, and it would be stupid to push away someone that you so desperately needed.

"I figured you could use a friend." He answered my unspoken question in that alluring voice of his, face grave.

He was looking a little lost, standing there in the middle of my room, unsure whether to move closer to me or to keep a safe distance. I helped him out by making the decision for him. I took a few large strides, until he was within my reach...

And then he surprised me by hesitantly wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in. It was quite possible that he had also surprised himself. Not that I cared; I rested my head on his shoulder, inhaling the sweet scent that was typically his. He simply held me, and that was all the support that I needed for now.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." He cooed softly before choosing exactly the words that I needed to hear, like he always did. "An exceptionally strong woman such as yourself can overcome anything…"


	14. Bad Influence

He stayed with me. He effectively distracted me by keeping me company. It still made no sense to me that being around him was this effortless… Before we started talking, I did warn him that I was counting on his honesty, even when the truth wasn't all rainbows and unicorns.

He respected my wishes, doing just that; Telling the unreserved truth. He told me that he was on his best behavior, but that he was having a hard time adjusting. He told me about losing his mind last night, and about how he had tried to drive away his cravings for fresh human blood with an unhealthy dose of alcohol. He told me about falling off the wagon early this morning, about going outside and draining a human. Or two. And then healing them with the powerful medicine that was his blood, because he had promised me no more useless killings. The fact that he had bothered to save a few -to him- insignificant human lives, was at least evidence that there had to be a small sliver of humanity somewhere.

His confessions, disturbing as they were, were giving me a flicker of hope. Maybe he could make a change… And I had to admit that it was truly flattering that he was doing all of this for me. That was to say; If he was being sincere… If this wasn't all part of some grand scheme that I was unaware of… No. I had sworn that I would give him the benefit of the doubt. I wasn't going to be the first one to break our deal. As long as he didn't let me down, I wasn't going to let him down.

I wasn't sure how we ended up lying on my bed, both of us resting on our sides, heads propped up on our elbows, facing each other.

"Are you feeling any better?" He asked at some point, after we'd just had a pleasant discussion about our likes and dislikes when it came to music.

"Surprisingly, yes." I admitted. "I guess all I needed was a bit of distraction… It's pretty cruel when you find out that the man who murdered your father is someone you can't even loathe… Not that you would care about my silly little problems." I added sheepishly as I recalled to whom I was talking.

Klaus regarded me thoughtfully. "Granted, I would lie if I told you that I actually care about what's going on with the townspeople of Mystic Falls… But when it affects you, I do care."

I snorted, despite the fact that this conversation was rather earnest. I blamed the exhaustion that was slowly starting to take me over. "I seriously don't get you... You've met so many girls… Princesses even…" I mumbled.

"They've got nothing on you, love." He assured me, his inviting lips turning up into a smile that touched his light blue eyes.

"Now you're just being a liar." I said, slurring a little.

I was so tired. I reluctantly rested my head on my pillow, unwilling to go to sleep and end my evening with him. Sadly enough, my body disagreed, and my eyelids were beginning to droop. I distantly heard the sound of his appealing voice as I slipped in and out of consciousness.

"You're tired." He whispered. "I should go."

What? Go? No… "You… Can't… Leave…" Were the only words that I managed to utter.

I think I heard his soft chuckle. Or perhaps I was imagining it, sleep drunk and hallucinating… I stopped fighting, falling into a deep, peaceful sleep...

-xxx-

I stirred slightly as I opened my heavy eyelids. I was still half asleep, but I was conscious enough to realize that I was on my bed while fully clothed, lying on top of the covers. My room was dark, indicating that it wasn't morning yet. And then it caught my attention that my head was resting on something that was considerably more solid than the average pillow. My fingers were feeling rather stiff… I carefully lifted my head, investigating what was going on here...

That's when I spotted the sleeping Original next to me. Or more like beneath me. My head had been resting on his chest, and my fingers were clinging to his grey sweater. Oh dear… This was bad. This was really, really bad.

However, before panic got a chance to overwhelm me, my eyes landed on his sleeping face, pale in the moonlight that managed to make its way into my room. He was evenly breathing in and out, and his attractive features were smooth, relaxed. It made him look so young, and carefree… And human. Of course, I knew better, but it was hard to think of him as a monster when seeing him like this.

I took a peek at the alarm clock, finding out that it was only five am… I didn't want to wake him. And to be honest, I could use a few more hours of sleep myself. This was already wrong on so many levels… Did it even matter if we stayed like this for a little longer?

I frowned, taking another look at his handsome face. Everything about him lured me in. One of my hands moved on its own accord, touching his cheek as if there was some sort of magnetic energy at work here. My fingertips lightly traced his cheekbone, until I became aware of what I was doing and swiftly jerked my hand away. God, what was it about this man that made it so impossible for me to resist him…

I sighed, tentatively placing my head back on his chest again.

"Please, please don't disappoint me, Nik." I whispered into the dark, feeling brave, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear it anyway…

-xxx-

When opening my eyes for the second time, things were somewhat different. I was still lying in the same position, using him as my personal pillow, but when I gazed up to check on him, I stared straight into his blue eyes. He was watching me as if I were the most interesting creature in the world. It made me feel enormously self-conscious.

"Good morning." He said pleasantly, smiling at me.

"Good morning." I replied neutrally.

I wasn't sure how to act, unlike Klaus, who was confidently smirking at me. "Did you sleep well, sweetheart?"

"Yes… What about you? Why are you all smiles and smugness?" I asked, giving him a playful scowl as I crawled up into a sitting position.

He mimicked me, also sitting straight, before giving me his useless response. "Nothing."

"Honesty." I nearly sang the word.

He rolled his pretty eyes at me, but did give in to my request. "Alright then… Without wanting to brag, it just occurred to me that I'm doing a fairly good job so far."

"What's that supposed to mean? A good job at what?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"Gaining your trust." He said, his cocky signature smirk making place for a satisfied grin.

"What makes you think that? You can't see inside my head." I replied skeptically.

"Sadly, I can't. But it is common knowledge that you don't fall asleep in someone's arms when you don't trust them." He deadpanned.

"Touché…" I admitted my defeat.

"But, as much as it pains me to say this, I think I should leave now... I'm afraid that it's time for you to get ready to indulge in this human activity called 'school'." He reminded me as he slowly got up from the bed.

I groaned exasperatedly as I recalled this thing referred to as 'reality', and I buried my head in my hands. "School… Peachy." I grumbled.

Klaus snickered. "Do I sense complaining, love?"

"No. It so happens that I'm really looking forward to another fun day of interesting classes." I replied sarcastically.

"Oh, my mistake, I must have misinterpreted your grumpy reaction. But I'll tell you what… If you decide that you'd rather skip school today… And if you happen to get bored when staying at home… You're more than welcome to spend the day with me." He said innocently. "Hypothetically speaking, of course. I wouldn't want to be a bad influence on you."

I laughed at his last comment. "You? A bad influence? I can't imagine that." I taunted him.

He shrugged, smiling good-naturedly. "It's up to you, sweetheart. I'll go home now, and you're free to join me whenever you feel like it. My invitation stands."

I shook my head at him in a reprimanding way. "It's tempting, I have to admit. So much for you not being a bad influence on me."

"My apologies." He did nothing to cover up the fact that he wasn't sorry at all. "Anyway, seeing as you are being a good influence on me, I think I'm going to check if there's a bag of AB positive left in the fridge, and have it for breakfast."

"Oh… That's one of your better ideas. Enjoy your meal." I encouraged him, not showing my surprise but instead offering my support.

He opened the window, flashing me a smile, eyes twinkling. "See you around, Caroline. Hopefully sooner rather than later." Was his suggestive goodbye.

"Right… Bye." I mumbled, even though he had already disappeared out of the window.

-xxx-

Initially, I opted for being strong and resisting his offer. I dutifully took a shower and got dressed, having every intention of going to school. That was until I called Bonnie to ask her how her date with Jamie had worked out…

At first she was highly enthusiastic, telling me that she and Jamie were getting along wonderfully, and that their evening together had been great. But then she moved on to the subject of Ric, informing me that Elena had called her this morning to break the news to her. To my relief she also immediately eased my mind by telling me that Stefan was with Elena, looking after her. I was happy to hear that he wasn't shutting her out anymore; Elena needed him so much right now.

"So… Damon is keeping a very close eye on Alaric, and in the meantime, I'm working on a potion that I think could cure him." Bonnie described the current state of events.

"Alright… So, do you need any help?" I offered.

"Not necessary. We've got it under control, for now. But if anything changes I'll give you a call right away." She promised.

"Okay… I guess, I'll see you later then." I said hesitantly.

"Yes… I'm going to finish that potion now, before Damon gets even more impatient." Bonnie said, sounding annoyed.

I snorted. "Give it to Damon to put some extra pressure on you."

"Yeah, he's calling me every ten minutes, so I won't be going to school today. And with everything going on, I don't think Elena will, either. Sorry." She said apologetically.

"That's fine… Actually, I'm feeling rather worn out today… With you guys not going, I might as well stay at home, too."

And we were back to the lying and deceiving. I had plenty of energy, but sticking to the truth was out of the question here. That's fine Bonnie, I wasn't planning on going to school anyway because I'd rather hang out with the hybrid that tried to slaughter us all. In fact, he might do it again when the situation calls for it. Also, he slept on my bed last night. I cringed inwardly.

"I can't blame you, you've had a rough month." Bonnie responded kindly, feeding my guilt. "I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Yes, see you tomorrow. Make sure that you're prepared to give me all the details about your date!" I warned.

She laughed lightly. "You bet I will."

We said our goodbyes, and I wished her luck with both the potion and Damon's irritating behavior. Although I could understand that he was merely concerned about his friend… After all, he didn't have that many people that he truly cared for.

I put down the phone, and for a moment I thought about calling Elena. I decided against that though, because if she and Stefan were finally spending some time together to work things out, the last thing I wanted was to be the one interrupting them.

So… Here I was, all by myself, left with two choices:

Option number one: Go and spend the day with a certain Original, who had made it clear that he would love to hang out with me.  
Option number two: Turning myself in at the nearest loony bin because I even considered to go and hang out with aforementioned Original in the first place.

Decisions, decisions…

-xxx-

It turned out that the nearest loony bin was a three hour drive away. Okay, so I made that up. Not like it mattered; There was no excuse for what I was currently doing. I was standing on his doorstep, waiting for him to answer and let me in.

Someone opened the door with a yank, and I was in for a nasty surprise. Not Klaus, but Rebekah was the one standing in front of me. She flicked her long blonde hair off her shoulder, shooting me a disdainful look.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, appalled.

Fabulous. What did she want me to say? Hi, I'm here to see your brother. Can he come out and play? I mentally cursed myself.

"I'm…" I let my hands fall limply to my sides, feeling utterly clueless.

Rebekah narrowed her piercing blue eyes at me, disbelief crossing here beautiful but arrogant face. "Oh my god… You're here to see Nik, aren't you?"

"Yes?" My weak response came out as a question, not a statement.

She laughed coldly. "That's right… I honestly don't get why my idiot of a brother is so obsessed with you."

"That makes two of us." I retorted coolly, feeling braver now that it was out in the open anyway. "So, can I see him?" I added, more civilized this time; I didn't feel like picking a fight with his sister before even making it past the front door.

As she seemed to be making up her mind, I suddenly heard his deep voice, echoing through the spacious hallway.

"Move along, Bekah. Leave the girl alone." He snapped at his sister.

The glare that she directed at her brother was definitely frightening. Well, frightening to me. Klaus remained unfazed. The scowl that he gave her in return was equally impressive.

"Fine, whatever, Nik." She hissed, ending their staring contest. "I was just heading out anyway."

"Please do." He insisted bleakly.

She icily glanced down at me as she walked past me.

"You kids have fun together." She sneered, stalking off to her car.

Klaus rolled his eyes as we watched his sister leave. "I'm sorry about that. I'm sure she didn't mean to act like a coldhearted bitch. She can be quite lovely when she wants to be." He mocked her, trying to lighten the mood.

That did earn him a small smile.

"I know we're not exactly the best of friends, but she could've at least been polite… Even though I can fully understand that she has to get used to… This." I ended unsurely, not knowing what 'this' was.

"That's her problem." He said indifferently.

"I guess…"

"So, you're here… Does that mean that you're staying?" He verified, one of the corners of his mouth lifting up into a smile.

"I'm here to spend the day with you. That's what you wanted, right?" I replied dryly.

"Yes. But I'm asking you if it's what you want. Do you want to stay here with me?" His hypnotic eyes turned serious as they were seeking out mine.

To me, it was crystal clear that there was only one accurate answer to his question. "Yes. Yes I do, Nik..."


	15. Emotions and Manners

The sunlight warmed my already heated face. It also brought out the shades of gold in his tousled blonde hair. As a vampire, things like the cold didn't bother you anymore, but the warmth was definitely pleasant. I was sitting on the moist grass, near the lake that was part of the property that belonged to the Mikaelsons. Klaus was sitting several feet away from me, a sketchbook resting on his lap.

"Seriously, there are more interesting things to draw." I complained again.

"That's what you think." He disagreed, giving me a meaningful grin.

"That's what most people would think." I refused to take his compliment.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Always so stubborn… Just try not to move, love."

"Fine." I muttered, reluctantly complying.

I would never admit it, but him drawing a portrait of plain old me was sort of flattering. I watched him, completely fascinated. A frown made its way to his flawless face as he concentrated on his sketch. A serene silence surrounded us, the only sound coming from his pencil as it scratched against the paper. Amazingly, it took him less than fifteen minutes to finish.

"You can move now." He told me, slightly amused as he took in my frozen form.

I huffed, pulling a face at him. "Can I see your drawing?"

"Certainly, love. After all, as of late, you have been my biggest inspiration."

I cursed myself as I felt how my face turned the color of a tomato, but I crawled towards him anyway, sitting down next to him. His picture of me was rather inaccurate, if you asked me. The girl that he had drawn looked like an angel; Unlike me, she was nowhere near average.

"She's way too pretty… But it's a spectacular drawing nonetheless, you truly are talented." I said truthfully.

He shrugged it off, for once showing me some modesty, instead of the usual arrogance. "I've had plenty of time to practice."

I snorted. "Good point. But still, it's impressive..."

"Anyone could learn to do it. You can learn to do it. I could teach you." He suggested.

"I couldn't draw if my life depended on it." I said, quirking an eyebrow at him.

He smiled self-assuredly at me, the sunlight complimenting his already gorgeous blue eyes. "I've told you before, sweetheart… It all depends on the teacher."

"Really… If that's the case, why don't you go ahead and convince me." I challenged.

"As you wish." He said smugly, handing me the sketch book.

I turned the page, uncertainly eyeing the blank sheet that was now staring me in the face. He put the pencil in my hand, and I helplessly glanced back at him. I hadn't the faintest idea where to begin.

His answering smile offered me all the comfort I needed.

"Alright, let's start with something simple… How about that tree over there?" He pointed at a large oak tree that was positioned at the other side of the lake. "Just try to keep an eye on the details, but don't overthink too much. Don't be afraid to give it a go."

"Okay…"

I hesitated for a minute or so, but finally ended up putting the pencil to the empty piece of paper. Klaus didn't say a word as I unsteadily drew some lines, never taking my eyes off of the tree while sketching. I did feel his cool breath though, caressing my neck and shoulder. There was barely any distance between us, and his knee was brushing against mine, which made it even harder for me to pay attention to what I was doing. When I glanced down at my drawing, I burst out in laughter. It was ridiculous, and that would be putting it mildly. A five year old would've been able to beat me at this.

"This is terrible. See, I wasn't kidding. I suck at this." I groaned, frustrated.

"That's nonsense. All you need is a bit of practice. And like me, you have eternity… Have a little patience." He encouraged.

"Patience is not really my thing." I confessed.

"So I figured… Then let me help you." He proposed.

I slowly turned my head, coming face to face with him. He was so close, our noses almost touching... His expression was intense, as well as persuasive.

"Sure. I have nothing to lose." I agreed dryly, focusing on my ugly drawing again.

He chortled subtly, putting his arm around me. At first I was confused, but then I realized that he was taking my right hand in his own, gently forcing me to place the pencil back onto the paper. He was briefly distracted, his fingertips appreciatively touching the delicate bracelet that I was still wearing…

"Just follow my lead." His soft whisper in my ear made me shiver.

His strong hand was guiding mine, and I watched in astonishment as a spotless copy of the oak tree was brought to life. Needless to say, he was the one doing all the work. And yet, there was something special about the two of us doing this together, as if he was willing to give me a piece of him. A piece of his talent, a piece of his passion.

"Not bad, if I say so myself." He murmured once we were done.

"Pretty good, actually. No thanks to me, though." I said, pouting a little.

"Don't say that… We both did our part." He snickered at his own obvious lie.

Without thinking about it, I playfully nudged his side. "Liar." I scolded, turning to grin at him.

He raised his eyebrows at me, feigning shock as he gave me a small nudge in return. "Did you just call me a liar, Miss Forbes?"

I giggled, his mild touch tickling me. "Maybe…"

"Ah, you're ticklish." He observed, smiling devilishly.

"No, I'm not." I attempted to save myself from the impending danger.

It was in vain. He ever so slightly touched my sides, which was enough to make me squeal.

"That's… Not… Fair…" I uttered between giggles.

As I tried to break free in defense, his hands caught my wrists, his gentle but firm grip keeping me in place. I struggled, glaring unimpressively at him.

I was aware that this was insane. We were playing around like a couple of kids. We were supposed to be adults. Also, he was what most people considered to be their worst nightmare. How was it that he acted like this, whenever he was around me? This had to be a massive case of a split personality.

Awkwardly enough, I eventually ended up on top of him, his hands still holding on to my wrists. I shrieked when he tugged lightly, throwing me off balance so that my face was mere inches away from his. All of the sudden I became a prisoner, trapped in his passionate gaze.

He blinked slowly, his exquisite blue eyes giving me a fair warning. He pulled me even closer, and I gasped audibly as his nose skimmed along mine.

Oh god, this can't happen. Not ever. My common sense was all but yelling at me, but to no avail.

He mercilessly uttered the words that cracked my final defense, his breath washing against my lips as he spoke. "Would you mind very much if I kissed you right now?"

I was astounded. He was actually asking for my permission. His accent was heavier than it normally was, and I had a dark suspicion that he was doing it on purpose, knowing that I wouldn't be able to resist him if he turned it up a notch. He was right. The way things were right now, it would take someone dragging me away from him and punching me in the face in order to stop this kiss from happening. Life was so unfair. Atrocious hybrids weren't supposed to have baby blue eyes. Or adorable dimples. They were most definitely not supposed to smell of honey and cinnamon.

I lost the fight. Since I was dumbfounded anyway, my reply consisted of me crushing my lips against his... I closed my eyes as his soft lips moved with mine. He tasted unexpectedly sweet, and I sighed with pleasure. His hands made their way into my hair, securing me to him as they were playing with the blonde curls on the back of my head…

For a good ten seconds, he succeeded at making me forget about the impossibility of this moment. The impossibility of us being together… Unfortunately, reality caught up with me faster than I would've liked. I pulled back, breaking our kiss. I backed away, unsubtly distancing myself from him.

He slowly sat up as well, giving me an incredulous look. "What's wrong, love?"

I shook my head while I tried to catch my breath. "Everything… This is wrong… It shouldn't have happened…"

"Whatever do you mean? When two adults are attracted to each other, it often happens that they kiss." Klaus pleaded innocence.

I sighed, agitatedly running my hands through my hair. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you… I am attracted to you. I'm attracted to the person you are whenever you're near me. The romantic, caring, gentlemanly guy that tries to work his way into my heart… He's charming, and he's hard to resist. But I've seen the other side as well…"

His mood shifted. I could swear that I saw his eyes turn a darker tone of blue. "That's all you can think of, isn't it? The other side." He sounded almost insulted as I confronted him with his twisted alter ego.

"No… That's not what I'm saying… It's just… You're more complex than anyone I've ever met… I don't know what to expect of you! It appears that you've never truly cared about anyone, and now you want me to believe that you do care about me?" I criticized.

"Yes. I've told you a million times." He said, voice low.

"I know you did…" I responded cautiously. "But what's your definition of caring?"

He was getting impatient, seeming more cranky than I'd seen him ever since he started pursuing me. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well… You claim that you care about your family, but when it's in your best interest, you dagger them without thinking twice. So I guess what I mean is… You want me to take a leap of faith, but you fail to see that it's a giant risk for me to take… Do you really expect me to wake up every morning, just hoping that you still care? I can't rely on that!" I recklessly shared my thoughts.

His face twisted into an expression that was far from human. Goosebumps were raising on my skin.

"I see… I've heard enough. You never planned to give me a real chance, is that right? I think it's time for you to leave..." His voice was a growl, his eyes close to black.

I was taken aback; During the past week he had managed to give me a false sense of security, and so I hadn't been prepared for him dropping his mask like that. A part of me was frightened, telling me that it was time to excuse myself and get the hell out of here before it was too late… But another part reminded me about the deal that I'd made with him… My promise to give it my best shot. My promise not to give up on him…

"You're jumping to conclusions, that's not what I said." I retorted bravely. "But that's so typically you, isn't it?"

He was too shocked to keep his infuriated face in check. "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me… That's typically you! Bailing whenever things get difficult. Bailing whenever emotions get involved!" I enlightened him.

Silence. Lots of silence. Everlasting silence as his face gradually turned from angry, to stunned, to awed.

I broke the silence, sensing that I could afford to speak again. "I so easily could've left when you ordered me to… Yet, here I am, giving you a chance. Heck, I've given you so many chances, I couldn't count them all. And you're accusing me of giving up on you… That's hardly fair."

Normally, it was him rendering me speechless, but for once, the tables were turned.

"You're right…" His words were almost inaudible, but my sensitive hearing registered them.

You could practically hear the sound of my jaw hitting the ground.

"Up until now, no one ever had the courage to call me out on it though." He mused, speaking to himself rather than addressing me. "But you're right…"

"I don't want to be right… All I want is for you to realize that I need time to process all of this." I said, waving my finger between the two of us. "You may care about me, and I do care about you… But there are also a lot of other people who are important to me… People who you would kill within a nanosecond if that's what works best for you…"

I stopped my rant right there, half expecting that he would freak out again. He didn't though. There was a heavy frown on his forehead, but other than that he was closer to human-Klaus than to hybrid-Klaus.

"Elena Gilbert is your best friend… I value her life." He halfheartedly contradicted my statement.

"No, you value her blood." I corrected him, unwilling to cut off the much needed talk-of-truth that was currently taking place between him and me. "The only reason she's still alive is because she's the key to creating more hybrids."

"Does it matter? I would never kill her… That ought to count for something." He argued.

He remained civilized though, and I silently prayed that he was finally starting to understand that it was not alright to take the easy way out whenever things got tricky.

"That doesn't change the fact that your motivations behind keeping her alive are highly disturbing… And seriously, creating more hybrids? What's up with that anyway? You don't need anyone to protect you, you're freaking invincible!" Once Caroline Forbes got started, it was impossible for her to keep her big mouth shut.

"I beg to differ. It wouldn't be the first time that your friends try to kill me." He scoffed, emphasizing the word 'friends' in a sarcastic way.

"Because you came here and interfered with our lives, first!" I reminded him.

"I only interfered, because I needed the doppelganger." He shot back.

"Needed her for what? Breaking the curse? Building an army of hybrids? There wouldn't be any need for that I you hadn't picked a fight with us to begin with! When you leave people in peace, they will leave you in peace!" I said determinedly.

"Better safe than sorry. I'm sure you can imagine that I've made many enemies over the centuries, Caroline."

"Enemies who probably aren't stupid enough to provoke you as long as you don't give them a reason to do so." I refused to give up.

For some reason that was beyond me, he didn't look annoyed anymore. Had I not known better, I would've said that he was enjoying our rudely honest discussion. Incredible as it seemed, he even laughed.

"Are you sincerely trying to convince me that's it's better to let Elena Gilbert be and stop creating hybrids?" He asked, slight admiration coloring his tone. "Because that might take a while." He added cynically.

Again, I blurted out the uncensored truth. "I've got time… Besides, we both know that you don't actually need them…"

"I just told you that I do." He interjected.

"That's not true…" I paused, thinking back to the conversation that I'd recently had with Stefan.

"You seem very sure of yourself." He commented, tone drowning in skepticism.

I nodded tentatively, clearing my throat. I would have to choose my words carefully now…

"Look, as far as vampires go, you're king of the world… Which means that you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. You just want there to be more of you, because you can't stand to be alone anymore… But what you refuse to see, is that when you're surrounded by people who are only sticking with you because they don't have another choice, you'll only end up feeling even more lonely…" My voice turned into a whisper near the end of my theory.

He stared at me, bewildered. His eyes were desolate, looking straight through me. I momentarily feared that I had gone too far… I was preparing to flight... But it turned out that there was no need for running. He restrained himself, taking a deep breath and making an effort to neutralize his features.

"Can we please leave it at that?" He asked, stern but collected. "I'm not bailing... However I do think that this conversation calls for a break." He added slyly.

Holy cow… Was it just me, or had I just taught the almighty Klaus Mikaelson some manners? Manners that he was -remarkably enough- putting to use right away. I couldn't help but feel proud. Proud of myself, but also proud of him.

I smiled warmly at him. "Yes, we can leave it at that. And I know that you're not bailing… You did well." I had to let him know that I appreciated his effort.

"Why, thank you." He replied mockingly. His eyes were not unfriendly, though.

"Oh, and by the way… I'm not bailing either." I told him casually. "I won't leave you. Or abandon you… So you can always choose to settle for a friend who is staying with you because she wants to be around you."

Vulnerability was a foreign look on Klaus, but I recognized it the instant I saw it. His eyes softened up, and he slowly mirrored my smile. "I will certainly keep that in mind, love. That is probably the most interesting proposition I've had in decades…"


	16. Love and Lies

"Unbelievable… This is how humans our age entertain their selves these days?" Klaus teasingly bashed my generation as we were watching some tasteless reality show on TV.

"Yes… And seriously, it's not that horrible!" I instinctively defended myself.

I sat a bit straighter on the couch, so that I could reach for another slice of the pizza we'd ordered. Admittedly, I felt a little out of place. It would take some time to get used to the idea of staying at his mansion, sitting on his expensive leather couch, and staring at his unaffordable flat screen. I had vowed to try, though, and so I would.

After our hefty discussion, I had suggested that we could do 'something normal' to cool off, and to my shock, he had agreed.

"Oh come on… Will you just look at that girl! She doesn't even have a brain!" He criticized, at the same time inspecting his own slice of pizza, glaring at it as if it had personally offended him in some way.

I snorted, realizing that his statement wasn't exactly untrue. "Yeah well, this is what most channels display nowadays, so I guess we'll have to make do with it."

I was sitting rather close to him, but I made sure that we didn't touch, purposely not invading his personal space.

"And you voluntarily watch that?" He probed, turning his head to frown at me.

"When I'm not busy with school, or my friends, or saving the townsfolk of Mystic Falls… Yes, I do." I joked before taking another bite of pizza. "Also, I watch cheesy DVDs when I'm really, really bored. Mainly chick flicks." I added shamelessly once I was done chewing.

I could see that he was fighting not to laugh at me. "Right…" He muttered, his eyes going back to the screen.

"I know you told me that you're the type of person who's fond of the classics, for obvious reasons… But I'm only eighteen years old." I reminded him dryly. "Less than five years ago, I was still into Disney... To be honest, I'm still a sucker for those movies. I'm slowly starting to connect with my inner adult, but it's a day by day process."

He had to laugh now, and he shook his head at me. "Disney…"

"Yes! For your information, that's what young girls do, mister! They watch fairytales and desperately pray for them to be real." I declared matter-of-factly.

"Not just young girls… Believe it or not, but I recall that Rebekah went through a belated Disney phase a few weeks ago." He revealed. "She even blamed me for missing out on it, because… Well, she wasn't exactly around to experience any of it at the time…" He was referring to the extended period of time that his sister had been forced to spend inside a coffin, due to his doing.

"Rebekah? You're kidding, right?" I was the one laughing now.

Klaus shrugged. "She was about your age, back when she was turned into a vampire… And she's a girl."

"I guess…"

"She particularly fancies 'Cinderella'." He told me conversationally. "Do you have a favorite?"

I pulled my eyes away from the screen, raising an eyebrow at him. "Are we seriously talking about Disney movies?" I questioned, comprehending how ridiculous this was.

He neglected the reality show as well, turning to face me so he could give me his undivided attention. "I want to find out everything there is to know about you… I reckon that includes your guilty pleasures."

"Oh great… Let's talk about all my embarrassing features." I cheered sarcastically.

"Yes, let's." He deliberately ignored my sarcasm. "So, you never told me… Which one is your favorite?"

"Beauty and the Beast." I automatically blurted out my answer to his question.

He snickered. "Figures…"

I attempted to glare at him, squinting my eyes. "What's that supposed to mean? You haven't even seen it."

He playfully shot a glare back at me. "No, but I've been around long enough to know what the main storyline is about, sweetheart."

"Whatever… I happen to like it." I said firmly, jutting out my chin.

"So it would seem… That must mean that you never contemplated that piece of advice that I provided you with last week when I visited you."

"Advice?" I asked, not keeping up anymore when he changed the subject.

His ever-present smirk grew wider, and he lifted his eyebrows suggestively. "To be careful what you wish for, love…"

I pulled a sour face at him as I grasped what he was getting at. "Let's not go there."

Ironically enough, he was spot on. Then again, it wasn't hard to see that lately, there were lots of similarities between my favorite childhood fairytale and my everyday life.

"Touchy subject?" He mocked.

"No... But can we leave it at that, please? I'm not bailing, however I do think that this conversation calls for a break." I copied his exact words from earlier that day, making sure to involve the accent.

To my relief he didn't mind me making fun of him, and he held up his hands in defeat, grin never vanishing. "As you wish."

We ended up watching the rest of that tacky reality show. As much as I hated to admit it, I couldn't care less about what we were doing. All I wanted was to be in his presence, inappropriate as it was for me to feel that way.

Eventually, I even found the courage to get rid of the remaining distance that separated us. I inched closer to him, trying to do so in a manner that I believed to be inconspicuous. Regardless, with Klaus being the observant person that he was, I don't think he was fooled. At first I merely rested my arm against his, mindfully weighing if he felt that unexplainable need for physical contact as well...

I was far beyond thrilled when he showed me that he did, seeing as he lifted up his arm, gently putting it around me. While my surprise lasted, I motionlessly kept watching the screen, unable to move. However when his fingers absentmindedly started to play with a strand of my hair, I eased up. I tentatively snuggled into his side, placing my head on his shoulder. In a very spontaneous gesture he rested his head on top of mine, before we both proceeded to gaze at the television without actually seeing anything.

Difficult as it had to be for him to act all caring and compassionate, the guy was trying. For me. Not to mention, he indulged in all the silly human activities that I was yet unable to let go of, and he did it without any complaints. It was no secret that Klaus was essentially as selfish creature, and so it truly moved me that he was putting someone else first, especially since that someone else was me. Taking into account that I was falling for him more and more with every day that passed, I was truly grateful that he even bothered to begin with.

"Nik?" It was starting to feel unnervingly natural to use that name.

"Hmm?"

"Thank you." I said quietly.

"For what? Offering you junk food and cheap entertainment?" He wittily murmured against my hair.

A soft laugh left my mouth. "No… For going out of your way to try and make me… Happy."

"My pleasure. Which makes me curious… Is it working?" He asked nonchalantly. "Are you? Happy, I mean."

My brain needed a minute to come up with a suitable reply. Was I? There was no denying that I felt good whenever I was with him… And when putting aside all the worries and problems that were unmistakably a part of this unusual relationship between him and me, I could honestly say that -at this specific moment- I felt content.

"Yes… Right now, I am." I decided to go with the truth.

He sounded extremely pleased with himself when responding. "Good. I wouldn't want it to be a wasted effort. Nothing gets me more frustrated than putting my time and energy into a project that fails in the end…"

All the more reason to make sure that this doesn't end badly… I darkly thought to myself as he mindlessly started to rub the side of my arm.

-xxx-

We had been here before, numerous times; Standing at his front door, intently gazing at one another, ready to say our goodbyes. On previous occasions, I'd always been confident about how I was going to act and what I was going to say to him. Whether it was something positive or a snappy remark, it never took me long to make up my mind... But for some reason, things were different this evening. I racked my brain, looking for something clever to say, but I came up empty.

Perhaps the real problem was that I didn't even know what we were at this point... Friends? More than friends? Or would he use the term 'acquaintance'? I was all but in the dark.

"So… I guess I'll see you soon?" I unsurely broke the silence.

"Yes..." He agreed, those hauntingly blue eyes glued to my face.

I didn't move, or even blink. I finally knew what to do; I was going to leave it up to him this time. Whatever would happen next, he would have to be the one taking the initiative...

And boy, he didn't disappoint. Before my thoughts had a chance to wander any further, he ever so carefully leaned in, bringing his face level with mine. His eyes were wordlessly interrogating me, searching for my approval. The second I gave him an impalpable nod, I felt how he brought one of his hands up to support the side of my -by now- flustered face.

For the second time today, his lips found mine. It felt as divine as I remembered. He tasted as sweet as I remembered. The only detail I couldn't quite conjure up, was why on earth I had pulled away that first time. This was heaven. As he deepened the kiss, I forgot about right and wrong. About good and bad. About friends and enemies. None of it mattered, because he was the only thing on my mind. I was lost in him, which meant that any lingering feelings of guilt were lost as well.

All too soon, the kiss ended, both of us hesitantly withdrawing. His hand was still cupping my jaw, and a radiant grin was plastered around his alluring lips. His eyes stubbornly refused to leave mine. I wasn't strong enough to keep myself from smiling back at him like the idiot I was.

"Sweet dreams, Miss Mystic Falls." He whispered, smirk never wavering.

I placed my hand over his were it was resting against my face, entangling our fingers. "Good night, Nik. Sweet dreams…"

-xxx-

Cloud nine, walking on air, pink glasses… Whatever they call it, I was currently experiencing it. I even caught myself loudly singing along to some cheery pop song on the radio as I drove back home. Of course, all of this didn't have anything to do with a certain Original. Nothing whatsoever. One tiny kiss couldn't possibly be the cause for my newfound state of happiness. Not when said kiss was shared with the prince of all things dark and evil…

Denial! A traitorous voice in the back of my head shouted.

Oh jeepers… I couldn't actually be in love with him… Sure, I was attracted to him. There was no denying that he had captured my interest. He was handsome, and intelligent... But love… That would be seriously problematic.

I was so preoccupied, lecturing myself, that I at first failed to notice the visitor that was waiting for me when I arrived at home. I parked my car in the driveway, which was empty, giving away that my mom was still at work. It wasn't until I got out of the car that I noticed Stefan, patiently sitting on the small bench in the front porch.

"Stefan… Hey, what's up? Are you okay?" I asked worriedly as I walked up to him, briefly fearing that he was coming to see me because he had done something stupid.

"Hey there… I'm fine, don't worry." He assured me immediately.

"Oh, that's good…" I said, sitting down with him. "And how's Elena holding up?"

Stefan sighed, clasping his hands together while absently staring at the ground. "She's… dealing. I just left, after I was finally able to convince her that she needed to get some sleep… She has been awake for a solid twenty-four hours now."

I smiled sympathetically. "This must be so hard for her… And Alaric? How is he doing?"

"He's staying over at our house for now... He's under Damon's watchful eye as we speak. A few hours ago he took the first dose of medicine that Bonnie made him, and all we can do now is wait."

I lightly patted his arm. "I don't even know what to say… Elena doesn't deserve to lose any more family… It's so unfair."

"It is…" Stefan glanced up at me, sitting straight. "But that's not why I'm here…"

"Oh?" I said curiously.

"Elena told me about this plan of yours to try and get to Klaus…" He started, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Oh..." I muttered.

Uh oh… Run for the hills! Even before Stefan had reached the actual point of this talk,I already sensed that nothing good could ever come from this conversation. Most likely it would involve lying. If any of my friends found out that there was no plan at all, and that I was spending so much time with Klaus for other reasons entirely, I was dead meat.

"It's just… I think it's a bad idea. It's not safe, Caroline. If anyone knows how unpredictable and cruel Klaus can be, it's me. I appreciate what you're trying to do here, but I think it would be best if you stayed away from him…" He defined. "Elena wouldn't survive losing yet another friend… I don't want to lose another friend. And I'm sure that the same goes for Bonnie. Not to mention your mother."

Guilt consumed me. Everyone was concerned about me, and here I was, deceiving them all because I had this irrational crush on their biggest enemy. I had to keep up the charade though, and stick to the story about the plan, otherwise they were all going to be suspicious if I kept hanging out with him all the time.

I cleared my throat, mentally preparing myself to lie some more. "It's no big deal, Stefan. Really."

"Yes, it is… You were with him just now, weren't you?" Stefan accused.

I frowned. "Yes, but…"

"Being around him is dangerous, no one wants you to sacrifice yourself like that! He can't be trusted, Caroline! This is Klaus we're talking about here!" He emphasized Klaus' name as if it was something disgusting.

"I know that… And I know that he's not worthy of anyone's trust… But I also know for a fact that rejecting him could result in something even worse. Getting him angry won't keep me safe either." I prayed that my explanation was making sense.

Stefan's troubled expression intensified. "Maybe so, but being around him on a daily basis is something else altogether! I can imagine that Damon gave you the impression that there is nothing wrong with your strategy to try and bring Klaus down, but he's not acting in your best interest."

"And you are, I know that. And I think it's great that you're trying to help me, but I'll be fine." I insisted.

"He could rip your heart out in the blink of an eye…" He argued, the volume of his voice dropping, but his tone staying earnest.

I restlessly fumbled with the bracelet around my wrist as I reacted to that. "That's just it… I don't think he could. Not anymore."

"You can't be serious. He's capable of anything!" Stefan exclaimed, trying to knock some sense into me.

"Please, you have to believe me, Stefan. There's no need to worry, Nik would never harm me…"

Oh no… Stupid, stupid, Caroline. I had blabbed the words out without thinking. Reflexively, I placed a hand over my mouth, horror-struck as I watched Stefan's eyes widen with shock.

The unbelieving stare that he directed at me turned my blood to ice. Surprisingly, when he spoke, his tone was neutral. Like a true friend, he did his best not to judge me…

"Nik, huh? That sounds like he's not the only one who's head over heels here…"

I was wishing for the floor to swallow me whole. Sadly, that never happened when you needed it to. No lie would be powerful enough to rescue me now…


	17. Case of the Ex

I clenched my jaw as I helplessly looked at Stefan, knowing that this was one fight that I couldn't possibly win. I was a lousy liar who was quickly running out of excuses, so the odds weren't in my favor. The only shimmer of hope that I had left, was the knowledge that Stefan was supposed to be my friend. Then again, a friendship could only endure so much...

"I'm so sorry… It just… Happened. I know that the very idea of me being attracted to Klaus is ludicrous! I never meant to fall for him… I must be out of my mind! Please, don't hate me…" I wildly uttered a string of apologies.

Stefan wearily rubbed his forehead with both his hands, taking a moment to himself before resting his eyes on me again. "This is an inconvenient turn of events, I'll tell you that." He responded dryly, seeming abnormally calm.

I laughed hysterically, my nerves getting the best of me. "Tell me about it! You have to believe me when I tell you that no one is more unhappy about this than I am."

He heaved a sigh, forcing himself to smile at me. The smile unintentionally made it clear that he pitied me. "As much as I would like to help you, I fear that this is your battle. I'm not the person to help you with this. I'm afraid no one can, really." He finally concluded.

"I know... I fully understand that I will have to figure this one out on my own. But I'm begging you not to tell anyone. Not Elena, or Bonnie… Definitely not Damon." I pleaded.

"Your secret's safe with me…" Stefan complied easily, to my immense relief. "None of us are going to be better off if this gets out in the open. For now, I don't see any harm in keeping this between the two of us."

"Thank you, really." I said gratefully. "I owe you."

"Hardly." He disagreed.

"Well, either way, thanks for not going berserk." I muttered.

Stefan smiled thoughtfully. "Love is something you can't go up against, no matter what. I ought to know. You can't help how you feel… Even if the circumstances in this scenario are a bit absurd."

"Absurd? You sure know how to make me feel better, buddy." I complained grumpily.

He chuckled, amiably patting my knee. "Don't take it personal. Let's say that I was talking about Klaus, not you. You can't deny that the word 'absurd' does apply to him."

I snorted humorlessly. "No arguments here. I may have a soft spot for his human traits, but I sure as hell know that there is another side to him as well."

Stefan got up from the bench, and I followed his example.

"You will have to sort out your feelings for Klaus yourself, but if you need my help with anything else... You know where to find me." He offered.

"Yes, thank you. Again."

"And please, look after yourself. Klaus is a master when it comes to manipulating people. Don't give him a chance to use you..." Was his final warning before he departed.

It was getting cold outside, causing me to protectively wrap my arms around myself, inhaling sharply as Stefan disappeared into the night. I wasn't sure if this was the time to panic or not. Weirdly enough, I did feel oddly relieved after sharing my secret with someone. That didn't erase my problems, though. I was still stuck in the middle of this mess; My friends standing on one side, and the man who claimed to love me on the other…

-xxx-

That night, I was stalked by my old friend insomnia. I was restlessly rolling around in my bed, turning from one side to the other. Occasionally my eyelids threatened to droop, but no actual sleeping was involved. Anxiety tormented me, because there were simply too many thoughts swirling around in my overflowing head…

My lack of sleep was the main reason why I was not amused when my mom shouted from downstairs around seven am, announcing that there was someone to see me. Seeing as it was a school day, I wondered who it was visiting me at this godforsaken hour. My mom had sounded somewhat enthusiastic when calling me though, so that peeked my interest.

I threw on a pair of sweatpants and a hoody to be safe, not having a clue who this mystery visitor could be… I drowsily thundered down the stairs, but gasped and came to a stop as I reached the last few steps, instantly awake. Moving became impossible. The same went for thinking. My body was basically shutting down, paralyzed at the sight of my former boyfriend. However I doubted if Tyler would use the word 'former'.

"Tyler…" I choked out. "You're… Here…"

He was standing in the middle of the hallway, his dark eyes cautiously taking me in.

"Yes, I am... I promised you I would be back. Why haven't you returned any of my calls?" He asked, sounding a little hurt as he hesitantly walked up to me.

"I… I was…" I stuttered. "I guess I just… Missed you. I didn't know how to deal with you being away, and the idea of hearing your voice… I imagined that it would only make things more painful."

The lie that I stuffed down his throat made my stomach feel heavy. He was back. Tyler had made his way back to me, just like he had vowed he would. I should be ecstatic right now, but instead I was disgusted with myself because I wasn't even in the vicinity of ecstatic. In fact, I was already mentally adding this dilemma to the endless list of complications that I still had to overcome.

"I understand… But you know that I had to go, right? It was hell, being away from you, but I had no other choice. I couldn't trust myself around you…" Another rush of guilt hit me as he blindly forgave me without a second thought.

"Yes… I get it." My voice started to shake.

"Hey, are you alright?" He verified, cocking his head to one side.

"Yes. I'm just shocked, I suppose." I squeaked, reluctantly descending the few remaining steps. "Sorry… It's so good to have you back. I'm glad you're okay." I added, my face twisting into a wry smile.

He didn't notice that my smile wasn't as genuine as could be, and he sighed, closing the gap between us and taking me into his arms. He hugged me close to him, and I stiffly rested my head on his shoulder.

"I've missed you so much." He breathed into my messy hair.

I swallowed thickly, guiltily closing my eyes as I answered him. "I've missed you, too." I mumbled against his shoulder.

A despicable human being. There were no other words that described me more accurately. I didn't deserve Tyler's affection. What I deserved, was a major slap in the face. With a frying pan. My eyes started burning as I breathed in his scent. The typical, calming fragrance that used to make me feel safe and protected whenever I was near to him...

A few months ago, I had been so convinced that this had to be what true love felt like… That was until Tyler had left, changing everything by leaving me behind here in Mystic Falls while he was trying to break that stupid sire bond. So much had happened since then... Klaus had happened. He had made me realize that my feelings for Tyler were strictly feelings of fondness. The best-friends-forever kind of feelings. The brother-sister kind of feelings. Not the sort of feelings that one could associate with desire and passion.

In hindsight, it wasn't hard to make out the difference… But it had required someone like Klaus to open up my eyes.

I vaguely became aware of Tyler gently pushing me back, his hands firmly holding on to my upper arms as he appreciatively looked me up and down.

"So… Does this mean that you succeeded?" I asked, making conversation to try and turn this uncomfortable scene a bit less uncomfortable.

He nodded proudly, grinning at me. "I'm a free man." He proclaimed. "You won't have to be afraid anymore… I swear that I will never hurt you again, Caroline."

"That's… Wow… That's really great." Was my crappy reply.

"Yes, it's surreal. I feel like I'm this entirely new person… We can make a new start now! We're free to do whatever we want to do." Both his tone and his face were drenched in euphoria.

"This is… More than I ever hoped for…" I said, making an effort to match his evident elation.

He beamed at me, before suddenly leaning in and crushing his lips against mine. His sudden attack took me by surprise, and I gulped, my hands limply hanging at my sides. This had to be the most awkward kiss in the history of awkwardness. It was nothing like a certain mind-blowing kiss that I'd received yesterday…

Luckily, it was over before I even had a chance to respond to it. Tyler quickly released me, giving me an apologetic smile.

"I have to go now. My own mother doesn't even know that I'm back in town... I just had to see you first." His eyes were shining, and he hastily gave me another peck on the lips.

I uneasily played with the bracelet that was hiding under the sleeve of my hoody. "That's… Really sweet."

"So, I will see you tonight?" Tyler was assuming, not asking.

"Yeah… Sure." I said, faking another smile.

He grinned suggestively at me. "Great! We have a lot of lost time to make up for."

"We do… Can't wait to catch up!" This was debatably my best attempt at cheerfulness so far.

He planted one last kiss on my cheek, promising that I would see him tonight before he rushed out the front door.

As I stood there, petrified, my mom poked her head around the kitchen door. Her smile was radiant.

"I'm so happy for you, sweetheart." She said softly. "It was about time for something positive to happen in your life after all this drama."

I smiled mechanically. "Thanks mom… Words can't express how happy I am."

How thankful I was that my mom didn't speak this complex language called 'sarcasm'. I was nowhere near happy. This was bound to end in catastrophe.

-xxx-

Bonnie, Elena and I were sitting at our regular table in the school cafeteria, eating lunch. We were acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. Just moving on with our everyday lives the same way we always did, no matter what was going on in supernatural-world. All three of us had experienced over time that this was the best -if not only- way to keep going.

We were currently discussing Tyler. Needless to say, that was one subject that I preferred to avoid, but it would be seriously illogical for me to not say a word about it. My friends were just telling me how happy they were for me, injecting me with a fresh shot of guilt, when Matt joined us.

He sat on the empty chair next to Bonnie, grinning at us.

"Hey! I just heard the news, Tyler called me! It's so great that he is back at last." Matt was mainly focusing on me as he said this.

I nodded automatically, pulling out my happy-mask again. "I know right. I still can't believe it!"

"Yeah… So I was thinking, how about a get-together at the Grill tonight, to celebrate Tyler's return? Nothing big, I know that this is hardly the time for a party with everything that's been going on lately, but we could all use some distraction… We can just go out for a drink and catch up, right?" He proposed in general.

"You know what, you're right. You had me at 'distraction', I'm in." Elena replied without protesting.

"Me too, it will be good for all of us to not focus on the negative for once." Bonnie joined her.

"Caroline? Are you in." Matt asked.

I snapped out of my trance, realizing that this was my cue to enthusiastically agree to go along. "Of course, I think it's an excellent idea!"

I groaned inwardly. An entire evening of pretending to be joyful, all the while feeling guilty because I would eventually have to tell Tyler that my feelings for him had changed over time. This was not at all something that I looked forward to. On the bright side, going out with the group would be less disconcerting than being alone with Tyler... Oh god, I loathed myself for even thinking that.

Being chased by an army of hybrids sounded like a picnic compared to the evening that I had in front of me…

-xxx-

I was in my room going through my closet, preparing myself for a fun night at the Grill.

After school, Tyler had called me. Matt had informed him about the change of plans, and apparently Tyler felt the need to ask me if I was cool with it, since he had promised me that we were going to spend the evening together. There was no need for lying when I assured him that I didn't mind in the slightest.

My train of thought came to a stop as my phone beeped to signal me that I had a new message.

My brow furrowed as I checked the screen. Klaus. Oh my, Klaus… I could only picture his wrath if he found out about Tyler's comeback… Perhaps he already knew… I momentarily abandoned the act of breathing as I read his text.

'Would you mind doing me the honor of spending the night in your delightful presence this evening?'

Despite all the problematic conditions, my insides turned to jelly. Tyler would never choose his words like that… Not that Tyler was to blame here. He was nineteen years old, for heaven's sake! Klaus was like, a billion.

I suffered sincere disappointment as I texted him back. For some unfathomable reason, I craved his presence as well.

'Sorry, promised to go out with my friends tonight… They'll lynch me if I don't show up...'

His reaction was instant.

'That's fine, love. There's always tomorrow. And the day after that… Eternity is a long time. See you soon.'

For the first time today, I smiled a real smile. Klaus was doing that to me. He achieved what my boyfriend couldn't, even though Tyler had given it his all by torturing himself to break that freaky sire bond… I was such a heartless brat.

I tried not to dwell on it. I decided on an outfit, fixed my hair, and headed out to the Grill. Best to get it over with…

When entering the Grill, I spotted my friends sitting around a large table in the back. It seemed that I was the last one to arrive. Tyler and Matt were already there, as well as Bonnie. Elena was also present, and to my surprise she had dragged Stefan along.

I made my way through the crowded place, unaware of what was hanging over my head. When Tyler's eyes met mine he waved at me as if to get my attention, even though it was obvious that I'd already located them. I obligatory waved back as I proceeded my journey, and that's when I actually scanned the room, for the first time randomly checking out the other guests who were staying at the Mystic Grill. One glimpse in the general direction of the bar was all it took to make me flinch…

To my advantage, my undead heart wasn't operating anymore. If it had been, it surely would've skipped an unhealthy amount of beats right now. Two familiar figures were having a drink at the bar while quietly interacting with each other. Two familiar Originals, to be more exact. Klaus and Rebekah. Sure, it would be arrogant to assume that Klaus had forced his sister to come with him and have a drink here so that he could keep an eye on me… But I wouldn't put it past him. He wasn't looking at me, but it was a given that he was listening to everything that was going on in the noisy restaurant. This was bad news…

My feet were resembling stone as I reached my friends. They all welcomed me with a greeting, and I sensed that the atmosphere was unruffled for the time being. There was mindless chitchat, and even laughter.

"Caroline, I saved you a seat right here!" Tyler greeted me lovingly, winking at me as he patted the chair to his right.

"Great, you're the best..." I said weakly.

Oh yes, this is going to be a fascinating night, I can already tell! That aggravating voice in my head taunted.

"Oh, and please just pretend that this zone is Original-free. They're not worth our energy." Tyler added darkly, acidly glaring at Klaus and Rebekah.

Everyone was nodding in agreement.

"He's right, let's not allow them to ruin our evening." Elena said, shortly squinting her eyes at them.

I sat down at Tyler's side, rigidly smiling at my friends. I was pretty much trapped. No matter what I was going to say or do tonight, Klaus would be monitoring my every action. With Tyler already clinging to me like a bottle of glue, this was going to be ugly beyond all reason.

The weary look that Stefan discretely shot me told me that he shared my thoughts. I was playing with fire here…


	18. Deal Breaker

Inconveniently, Tyler just had to go and pick this night to act like the sticky boyfriend. He never passed up an opportunity to randomly touch me, or to take my hand in his. And of course he had every right to. We had never officially ended things, and as far as he knew, the two of us were still an item. Whenever he possessively placed his arm around my shoulders, I had to suppress the urge to shove it away. I would never be able to justify my rejection; Tyler was thoroughly clueless for now, and he was under the impression that I longed for his touch because I'd missed him terribly.

I never gathered the courage to look at Klaus again after that first time when I'd made my entrance, but I could feel his eyes as they were burning a hole in the back of my head. All the while, Stefan was intently observing Klaus, even though I couldn't quite wrap my head around why that was. It wasn't like Klaus would be as reckless as to do something stupid in front of a room full of witnesses.

My friends were chatting animatedly, and with the current topic being the Spring Dance, I had no other choice but to pay attention and participate.

"So, has the dance committee decided on a theme yet?" Bonnie asked me.

"Please, for once let it not be something girly." Matt groaned, shaking his head.

Elena snorted. "It's a dance! What do you expect, Matt?"

"No ball gowns and tiaras." Tyler supported his friend.

"Actually, we're dealing with a huge lack of inspiration this year." I cut off their discussion. "We haven't decided anything yet. Which reminds me; Creative suggestions are very much appreciated."

"You know what, it doesn't really matter, babe. Seeing as I already know that I will be going to the dance with the prettiest girl in town, I'm not complaining." Tyler said, smoothly leaning closer to me, affectionately touching his lips to mine.

I winced without meaning to do so, at the same time silently pleading that he wouldn't detect my unwillingness to kiss him back. His lips left mine, and I winced a second time when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Tyler sat back in his chair, smiling royally at me, oblivious to everything that was going on.

I sneakily checked the message that I'd received, making sure to hide my phone from Tyler.

'I'd say this is a deal breaker. Getting back together with the boyfriend hardly qualifies as giving it your best shot to try and make things work between the two of us. I hope you enjoy spending the rest of your eternal existence with him.'

My head snapped up in a reflex, and when viewing the bar I noted that he was gone. Rebekah hadn't left yet -she was currently flirting with the bartender- but Klaus' seat was empty. My eyes flew to the exit, just in time to see how his vision slipped out of the door.

"Oh no, you don't." I hissed under my breath.

The others were shooting me looks of confusion, and I realized that I'd been talking out loud like a nutcase.

"Oh… Spring Dance business. Sarah is acting all bossy about selecting a theme… I really have to take care of this, I'll be back in sec." I stumbled apologetically as I got up from my chair, waving my phone at them as if to emphasize my point.

Not giving them an opening to react, I ran for the door as fast as I could without raising suspicions. As I stepped outside into the slight drizzle, I saw him heading for his car.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing!" I yelled after him.

He kept walking, pretending that I wasn't even there.

I growled, frustrated. "My feelings for him are nothing compared to what I feel for you, if that's what you need to hear!"

That made him pause.

"At least talk to me, Nik! Let me explain!"

When there was minimal space left between us, he abruptly turned around. His icy eyes were cold and vacant.

"There's nothing to explain, is there? The boyfriend came back, the world is back on its axis! You can go back to scheming against me with your little group of friends, and I can go back to threatening your loved ones." Was his snarky reply.

I gaped at him in disbelief. Was he… Jealous?

"I must give it to you though… For a moment, you had me fooled. Regardless, I'm quick to correct my mistakes. You don't belong in my world, and I most certainly do not belong in yours." He added, his cutting voice giving me the chills.

"That's not true, and you know it! It's just… Tyler caught me off guard when he stormed back into my life this morning, and I need a freaking moment before I tell him that my feelings for him aren't the same anymore! He spent months trying to break the sire bond, just so he could be with me again! I can't just ditch him after all that's happened to him! The guy deserves a break before I go and shatter his heart!" I argued earnestly.

"You wouldn't say that if you didn't care for him." Klaus fumed accusingly.

I rolled my eyes. "He's still my friend! So yes, I care for him! The same way I care for Elena, and Bonnie, and Matt… And Stefan! But I also know that what Tyler and I had before he left can never be restored… Not after you and I…" I broke off my sentence, throwing up my hands as I ran out of words.

A glare filled with skepticism was all he provided me with. "And you honestly want me to buy that story? How do I know that this is not just you and your pathetic little gang executing yet another delusional plan to finish me off?"

This time, I was the one getting mad. "Seriously? I can't believe what you're insinuating here! I care for you! An insane amount!"

"And the only proof that I have is your word!" He spat.

"That should be enough!" I countered, never lowering my voice. "It's all about trust, Nik! That's what all relationships are about!"

"Right… Trust." He uttered, pronouncing the word 'trust' like it was something deeply offending.

"That's right. And deep down, I think you're well aware that you can trust me. You're simply too scared to give in to your feelings." I was speaking more calmly as I stated what I believed to be true.

For an instant I swore that his azure eyes softened up, but the menacing mask was back in less than a second. I briefly doubted myself, wondering if I had been imagining it, but I was fairly sure that I hadn't. This was just him trying to be tough. This was his natural defense mechanism; Pushing people away, beating them to the punch before they had a chance to push him away.

"Alas, we will never know." He attempted to sound detached, uncaring. Too bad for him that by know I knew him well enough to see through his facade.

"No, we won't. Not if you run away from me again! Not if you keep bailing, the way you always do whenever things get too complex for your taste!" I indicted.

"That's enough!" He had traded his usually appealing voice for a raspy growl. "I don't feel like listening to any more of your unfounded accusations."

"Yes, go ahead and leave. After all, that's what you do best." I sneered mockingly. "But you know what, if you truly don't believe me, why don't you just ask me? Unlike Stefan and Damon, I'm not on vervain. Compel me, if you must!"

"That's my point precisely... The thing with trust is that you don't feel the need to compel someone in order to find out if they are speaking the truth!" He shot back, not taking the bait. "So why don't you go back to your boyfriend, while I carry on with my life. God knows I need a drink. A fresh one."

I raised my eyebrows, about to firmly object, but he was already gone, his movement too swift for even a vampire's eyes to follow. He had carelessly left his car behind, and I childishly kicked one of the tires to let out a piece of my piled up anger.

The chances of him still hearing me were slim, but I screamed after him anyway. "Very mature, Nik! By all means keep running!"

Only now did I notice a few stray tears that were escaping my watery eyes. As they streamed down my face, I slid down to the ground in defeat, my back resting against his car. I pulled up my knees, resting my arms on them as I started to sob. The rain soaked me further as I buried my head in my hands, feeling miserable.

"Why do you have to act like a stubborn jerk, Nik… Why can't you just trust me…" I whispered to no one but myself.

-xxx-

I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom, eyes wide open. My bed was warm and comfy, but sleep avoided me like the plague. Lately it was all I seemed to do; Lying awake, brooding and moping over things that I had no control over to begin with.

After my fight with Klaus, I had gone back to my friends, pretending that everything was still sugar, spice and everything nice. When the evening had come to a close at last, Tyler had eagerly offered to take me home and stay the night with me, but I had unashamedly brushed him off by claiming that I had a nasty headache... So here I was, alone again. I was in for yet another long, sleepless night.

No! This was outrageous! I refused to lose any more sleep over that headstrong Original! This was going to end right here... I got out of bed, searching for some clothes, not caring that it was three in the morning. I was going to force him to make up his mind, right now. Despite his criticism, I was giving it my very best shot, and he could either take it or leave it. No more stupid games, I was done playing…

-xxx-

I rang his doorbell, one hand placed on my hip as I impatiently tapped a foot against the ostentatious marble floor that covered his porch. I smacked my fist against the massive wooden front door of the mansion when he didn't answer. I was seriously considering breaking and entering, when the door suddenly opened, revealing the gorgeous but messed up man who was keeping me from my sleep. His hair was ruffled, and it seemed that he had quickly slipped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. I had positively woken him up.

He narrowed his blazing eyes at me, his nostrils flaring. "You have a lot of nerve to show up here in the middle of the night."

I didn't back down, instead making sure to match his angry attitude. "And you have a lot of nerve to treat me the way you treated me earlier tonight! You want me to give you the benefit of the doubt and put my faith in you, but you yourself are so determined not to trust me!"

He frowned, clearly still not used to the idea of someone not being frightened of him. Of someone standing up to him.

"What can I say… I believe in what I see. Things were getting quite cozy between you and the Lockwood boy. I can take a hint." He eventually said, voice strained.

"I told you, I hardly had a say in the matter! I didn't even want him to touch me! Or kiss me! And you know what else? Whenever he does kiss me, I don't feel anything! Even worse, all I can think of is you! It's you I want, not him!" Confessions started flowing out. I seriously needed to shut the hell up. But I couldn't. "You're all I can think of, and it's driving me insane! No one has ever made me feel the way you do…" I faded out under his intimidating scowl.

There was an outstretching silence. Neither of us attempted to speak. We glowered at each other, and I saw how his face slowly eased up; All traces of hatred gradually evaporating before my eyes.

"What did you just say?" He whispered.

I took a deep breath before repeating the part that I knew he wanted to hear me say again. "No one has ever made me feel the way you do…"

His jaw slackened, and his blue eyes turned a shade lighter. They were uncharacteristically humane. I took it as a sign that we were cool, and I initiated by taking a small stride towards him. I carefully brought my face closer to his, but I didn't hesitate when I boldly covered his lips with mine. I figured that it was solely surprise that caused him to be unresponsive, for his cranky mood was long forgotten.

"I want you, Nik." I mumbled against his lips. "I mean it. Please, stop shutting me out…"

I backed up my words with a second kiss, and this time he did kiss me back. With newfound confidence I broke free from our kiss, only to move on to my next target, placing a trail of kisses along his chiseled jaw.

"It's only you. No one else." I murmured softly when I reached his ear.

He let out a shaky sigh, before bringing up both his hands and placing them on my cheeks, gently forcing me to look at him. I could drown in those eyes, and I willingly gazed into them.

"It's only me?" He verified sedately.

"Yes." I answered, unblinking. "Besides, I also meant what I said at the Grill… Compel me and ask me to speak the truth, if that's what you need."

His face displayed nothing but disbelief. "You would honestly be okay with me compelling you?"

I didn't need any time to deliberate, because this particular subject had already crossed my mind a million times during all those countless sleepless nights.

"Yes… I suppose it's not that unusual for you to have issues when it comes to trust. With your past, I can't really judge you. So many people let you down, your own family even… I can see where you're coming from." I clarified.

"You are amazingly unbelievable… And you're more than I deserve." His eyes turned sad, pained even.

"It's fine, Nik." I said dismissively. "I get it. I get you. Just go ahead and do it."

His hands were still firmly holding my face, and I swallowed to clear my dehydrated throat, anticipating the unsettling feeling that invariably came with compulsion.

"No." He stated bleakly.

"No?" I echoed, questioningly lifting an eyebrow at him. "You have my permission… Why not?"

His frown intensified, and he was looking sincerely astonished himself as he formulated his response. "Because… I trust you, Caroline Forbes. I believe you…"

As if his revelation wasn't enough to stun me, he hungrily crushed his lips to mine. He kissed me with a determination that was out of this world, his strong hands moving away from my face and settling on my hips instead. I had no problem whatsoever with his sudden enthusiasm, and I fervently returned the kiss, my hands securing themselves to his shirt. Our lips were moving in synchronization, both him and I attacking each other like we weren't going to live to see another sunrise. I wasn't sure how we made it to the second floor. Or into his bedroom. There was one single thing that I was focusing on, and that was him. The pleasure he made me feel was simply indescribable.

I'd never been in his room before, but checking out the scenery was not on top of my list of priorities at the moment.

"You haven't the faintest idea how long I've been wanting to do that." He breathed as we made it to his king-sized bed.

"Ditto." I whimpered as we both fell down onto the satin sheets.

He crawled on top of me, his heavenly lips exploring my throat. With him being the big bad hybrid, one infinitesimal bite could be fatal, but that was the last thing on my mind. I buried my hands in his untidy blonde hair as his mouth moved along my heated skin.

"If you want me to quit, this is your last chance to tell me, love. I'm not exactly known for my impeccable self-control..." He seductively breathed against my skin.

"Hell, no. Please don't stop." I blurted out immediately.

My mind was made up; I desired him as much as he desired me… All I needed was him, and I was going to act on it, no regrets.


	19. Heartbreak

There was always something disorientating about waking up in a bed that was not your own. Not like it mattered when the bed in question was ten times more comfortable than your own bed… The satin sheets were enveloping me like a smooth second skin. I opened my sleepy eyes, noticing that I was resting on my side, facing a large window. The sun was rising, bathing the room in a warm shade of orange. To my relief I distantly recalled that today was Saturday, meaning that I wouldn't have to get up and rush in order to be in time for my first class.

I stored away my thoughts when I heard his low mumble behind me.

"Caroline…"

"Hmm?" I reacted automatically.

When he didn't speak again, I clumsily turned around, resting on my other side so that we were face to face. His posture was relaxed, his eyes still shut. He appeared to be sound asleep…

He startled me when he uttered a few more words. "Don't… Leave…"

My eyes widened, and I produced a muffled giggle when I realized that the most threatening man in the universe had the habit of talking in his sleep. His arms reached out to me, and I helped him out by sliding closer to him and welcoming his embrace.

"Don't you worry. I'm not going anywhere, Nik." I answered dryly, amused at this rather embarrassing human trait of his.

However, my quiet laughter faded when he spoke a third time. He muttered two short but vitally important words. "Love… You."

I froze in his arms, stupefied. There was a warm glow spreading throughout my entire body as it occurred to me what he had just involuntarily confessed. These past few days, I had been so preoccupied concentrating on getting him to believe that I cared for him, that I'd almost forgotten about the fact that I needed some reassuring as well. And here it was, unexpected yet crystal clear; Evidence that he was not simply playing some twisted game with me.

I let out the breath that I'd unconsciously been holding in, scooting even closer to him and resting my head against his shoulder.

"I love you, too." I murmured mutedly. It would probably take some time before I would say those words to him while he was actually awake.

Watching him sleep was more absorbing than watching the average TV show or reading any given book. I managed to do it for a good thirty minutes or so, never getting tired of taking in every inch of him. Regardless of what was hiding on the inside, the exterior was pretty damn close to perfection.

My stupid phone was what ruined my unabashed ogling. The shrill beeping noise made him stir and stretch. I growled, getting up to snatch the annoying device from the floor. I slipped back under the covers, and his big blue eyes were curiously appraising me.

"Good morning, sweetheart." He said, flashing me a grin.

"Good morning... Sorry about that." I apologized, face flustered as I offhandedly checked which one of my friends had been the killer of joy in this scene.

When Tyler's name turned up I huffed, roughly tossing my cell to the other end of the bed.

"The Lockwood boy?" Klaus presumed.

"Yes." I confirmed crankily, covering my eyes with both my hands.

"If you don't mind me saying, I think it's time for the two of you to have a serious heart-to-heart." He recommended airily.

I let out a dramatic sigh, reluctantly sitting up. "Thank you, Captain Obvious. I get it… Putting it off any longer will only make matters worse."

I pretended to make a move to leave the bed, partly daring him to show me that he had other plans.

He didn't let me down. "Please just stay for a bit. I didn't mean this instant, love." He objected hastily, gently grabbing my arm and pulling me back to him again.

"I expected as much… I was only teasing you." I smirked at him. "But I will have to talk to Tyler… Soon." I added, for now giving in and curling up against his side.

"Soon… Not now." Klaus said in a definite tone, closing the topic and moving on to another. "So… Did you sleep well?"

I glanced up at him as he took one of my hands in his, his fingers absently playing with mine.

"Why yes, never better. Did you?"

His lopsided grin was enough of an answer for me. "You know, I was thinking… If all of our fights are going to end like this one, I'd say let's start a war."

I playfully smacked his arm. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I'm willing to bet that you wouldn't protest either." His smirk was very suggestive.

I merely rolled my eyes, not opposing his statement because I was far from disagreeing. "Fine, you win."

"Ah! Nothing like the smell of victory in the morning." Klaus lilted, his hand leaving mine so he could tenderly brush a curly lock of hair from my face.

"You know what? I think I want revenge." I suddenly announced, innocently looking up at him from under my lashes. "I mean… Now is as good a time as any to start a war, don't you agree?"

His captivating eyes darkened as he comprehended what I was implying. "That is one offer I can't refuse, Miss Forbes." He said huskily.

I squealed as he suddenly pulled me on top of him, my eyes fluttering closed as his irresistible lips claimed mine…

-xxx-

Around noon, I found myself walking up to the Lockwood residence, a tight knot in my stomach.

After Klaus had given me a pleasurable reminder of last night, he had offered to make me breakfast. As much as I had appreciated his hospitality; With his she-devil of a sister also being there, I had politely declined. Instead I had gone out for a quick hunt, and when I had gotten home I had rapidly taken a shower and changed into a fresh outfit. It was then that I had decided that I had no other choice but to go and fill in Tyler. It would be harsh to leave him in his state of ignorance any longer, especially now that I had figured out how I felt about Klaus. I had to let Tyler know that my feelings for him were no longer romantic...

I hesitated when I reached the porch steps. This was not going to be a fun visit, but it had to be done. I chewed my bottom lip as I brought my index finger up to press the doorbell.

It was Tyler's mother, the mayor, who opened the door. At my sight, she widened her already exaggerated smile. Tyler's return was undoubtedly the reason for her unusually chipper mood. She had never been a big fan of the idea of me being her potential daughter in law, seeing as she was well aware that I was vampire. I returned the sentiment; Carol Lockwood was not my type of person. Also, with a werewolf -now hybrid- for a son, who was she to judge?

"Caroline, so wonderful to see you, dear." She chimed.

"Hello, Mrs. Lockwood." I said, going along with her translucent little play and smiling back at her. "Is Tyler home?"

She nodded, gesturing for me to come inside. "He's in his room. He will be so pleased to see you."

"Right…" I replied blankly while passing her. "Thank you."

I followed the familiar route to Tyler's bedroom, in the meantime mentally preparing myself for the dreaded conversation that was about to come. There was never an easy way to deliver a message such as this one, but the very least I could do was to try and control the damage…

Tyler's door wasn't entirely closed, but I knocked anyway.

"Come in." He called abstractedly.

I tentatively stepped inside. Tyler was sitting at his desk, his eyes fixed on the screen of his computer. He was checking the many unopened emails that he had received during the time in which he had been gone.

"Hey, Tyler…" I started heedfully.

His head whipped around at the sound of my voice, and he nearly sprang up from his chair.

"Caroline! I'm glad you came!" He rejoiced, approaching me with a brilliant smile. "Are you feeling better?"

I clenched my teeth when he mentioned the fake headache, trying to chase away the guilt. Yes, you're glad I'm here… Never mind that my only reason for stopping by is the fact that I'm about to crush your heart and scatter your world. I gloomily thought to myself.

To my own annoyance, my face had always been an open book, and Tyler promptly sensed that something was off. He refrained from making physical contact, keeping his distance while shooting me a troubled look.

"Is something wrong?" He asked vigilantly. "You look… Nervous."

No, nothing's wrong... Just that I slept with the enemy last night. Which by the way, I don't regret one bit. I flinched at my own musings. There was no going back now…

"Tyler, I… We need to talk." I remorsefully voiced the four words that no guy ever wished to hear out of the mouth of the girl he loved.

His expression turned grim, his heavy eyebrows knitting together. "Alright… What's going on?"

"Maybe it's best if we sit down." I meekly suggested.

"Why? It's not that bad, is it?" Tyler pried, his onyx eyes boring into my blue ones.

I opened my mouth, but closed it again without one single word making its way past my trembling lips. This was hard, possibly the hardest thing I had ever done. Tyler's heart was in the right place, and he didn't deserve this. But then, he also didn't deserve a girlfriend who was betraying him. A girlfriend who was being unfaithful…

"I'm not sure how to tell you this…" I whispered.

We were still forlornly standing in the center of his room; Tyler was innately a restless person, and he had no intentions of calmly sitting down with me.

He agitatedly ran a hand through his spiky hair. "Please just bring it on, you're killing me here, Caroline!" He prompted.

"I… I'm afraid that you and I… I mean I am… I'm so sorry, but I don't feel the way I used to feel… I care about you, so much… But my feelings for you, they've changed..." I stuttered my chaotic admission.

"What?" He interrupted my disorganized rambling, his frown growing more pronounced with each second that ticked by.

"I… I can't be with you anymore, Tyler." I elaborated. "The two of us… It's just not going to work anymore…"

A lengthy moment passed before comprehension seemed to wash over him.

"Oh, hold on… I get it." He suddenly mumbled.

I frowned, not expecting that. "You do?" I asked, taken aback.

Had Stefan spilled the beans? No, he would never do that… Would he?

Tyler sighed, somberly shaking his head. "You're still afraid that I will hurt you… You're not sure if you can trust me… And really Caroline, I can totally understand after what I did to you… But you have to believe me when I tell you that I'm no longer sired to Klaus. I can turn without any pain or effort whatsoever, I won't be obliged to take his orders anymore, I swear."

I was filled with despair as he pleaded his case. He was putting this on himself, assuming that this had to be his fault. Self-hatred overpowered me. I had to put this to an end. It was painful to watch him as he defended himself, his main goal being to save our relationship.

"No, Tyler… That's not it. My feelings simply… Changed. Please don't blame this on yourself, it has absolutely nothing to do with you. I know what you did for me, and I can't tell you how grateful I am… And I'm so glad that you're okay, but I… I love you as a friend…" My voice broke at the word 'friend'.

He gawked at me, unspeaking.

"I'm so sorry." I choked out again.

And then it dawned on him. Realization crossed his features, his lips forming a tight line. "There's someone else, is that it?" He asked, his tone shifting. All of the sudden it was laced with venom.

I briefly considered denying, but he gave me no chance.

"And be honest please, Caroline. We both know that you've never been much of a liar." He snapped, his patience wearing thin. "Who is it?"

I bit my lower lip, hopelessly shaking my head.

At my refusal to enlighten him, he started guessing. "It's Matt, isn't it? You want to get back together with Matt!"

"What? No! Of course not!" I exclaimed in surprise.

"Stefan?" Tyler relentlessly continued his guessing game.

"No! Stefan and I are just friends, Tyler."

"I'm not stupid!" Even though he was standing right in front of my nose, he was close to yelling now.

"And I'm not saying you are!" I retorted.

"Then tell me who it is, I think you owe me that much." He demanded frostily.

His eyes were staring me down, as if he was attempting to lift the truth straight from my brain. I stared back, feeling utterly lost. Tyler's anger was legitimate. Apart from that, he was right; I owed him the unexpurgated truth, after all he had gone through months of suffering on my account.

I surrendered, and the name of the man I loved escaped my mouth in a broken whisper. "Klaus."

For about half a minute, all Tyler did was gape at me. That was until -out of nowhere- he started laughing. He was laughing. Not just snickering, he was actually laughing out loud.

My jaw dropped as I watched him, shocked at his nonsensical reaction.

"You… Were just kidding." He concluded between chuckles. "That wasn't funny, Caroline. I thought you were being serious… Please don't ever scare me like that again."

I regarded him silently, purposefully not encouraging this brand-new theory of his.

His laughter eventually died out, leaving behind an awkward silence.

Reality hit him hard. "Oh my god… You're not kidding... Klaus? You can't be serious…" His bewilderment even drowned out the aggression that usually surfaced whenever he was upset.

"I truly am sorry… I wish I could truthfully tell you that all of this is one big practical joke, but it's not." I said guiltily, staring down at the floor, avoiding his eyes.

"You're in love with Klaus… Wait a minute…" Tyler mused. He sounded composed, even though he had recently found out that I had fallen for his rival. "Caroline, look at me."

I obeyed, apprehensively looking up at him. "What is it?"

From what I could tell he was deeply concentrating on something, as if he was trying to put two and two together in order to solve some kind of mystery. He blinked slowly, giving me a frightful glance.

"Oh no… How dare he…" Tyler muttered to himself.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it!" He replied matter-of-factly.

"What is?" I pushed, still not catching on.

"That son of a bitch compelled you, Caroline!" He snarled. "It's the only logical explanation! Why else would you ever fall for someone like him? He's a monster! It makes no sense!"

I hadn't been prepared for my sudden need to defend Klaus, but it was unmistakably present.

"No, he never compelled me, Tyler! You don't even know him! He's not just some heartless serial killer, there's so much more to him than that! He showed me this whole other side of him… He's a different person whenever he's around me. That's why I want to be with him, not because he's forcing me." I stated fiercely.

"Which is exactly what you would say if that creep had brainwashed you!" Tyler shot back. "He wants to break us up, and I sure as hell won't let him!"

"You're wrong." I persisted. "Things have changed between him and me since that night when he saved my life…"

"Yes, him manipulating you and putting you under his spell is what changed." Tyler stubbornly held on to his own beliefs. "But he won't get away with that… In fact, I'm going to have a talk with that Original bastard, right now." He declared ferociously.

He wasted no time. This had not been an empty threat. There was a cold gush of air, and Tyler was gone.

"Wait, no!" I shouted, panicked.

But it was too late. Tyler was too hotheaded for his own good, and it was going to get him killed. Unless I stopped him… He had his mind set on confronting Klaus, and it was bound to end in blood and tears. I had to go after him. Anything to stop this from happening…


	20. His Greatest Weakness

Have you ever had that terrifying dream where you're running for dear life, yet your feet are barely moving and you're not getting anywhere? That is precisely what this was like. As I rushed after Tyler, jumping out of his bedroom window and running straight for the Mikaelson mansion, it felt like it was taking me ages to get there. That was just my imagination, of course. With my vampire speed, it couldn't have taken me more than a minute.

The front of the mansion came into view after what seemed forever, but at first there wasn't much to see. There was no sign of Tyler, nor Klaus. The place appeared to be deserted, and I swiftly made my way around the impressive building, heading for the gardens.

I gasped when I caught a glimpse of the two men. Apparently Tyler had found Klaus at the bench near the lake, because that was where they were currently standing face to face, staring each other down.

"Hey!" I yelled hysterically to get their attention.

Both their heads snapped up. When I finally reached them, it wasn't hard to tell that this was going to be a disaster. I came to a stop beside the two hybrids, my look restlessly gliding from Tyler to Klaus.

"Sweetheart, what a pleasant surprise." Klaus was the first one to talk, momentarily looking away from Tyler to give me one of his enthralling smiles. "Why don't you go inside, and I will join you in a minute." He added casually.

I accusingly threw him a glare. Go inside, sure. So you can slaughter my ex-boyfriend the instant I leave! Nice try, pall.

"No…" I protested, tearing my eyes away from Klaus' alluring gaze and directing a meaningful glance at Tyler. "I'm here to talk some sense into Tyler, before he does something that he will deeply regret."

"Oh, come on, Caroline! I'm not the one who needs to come to his senses! You are! He's messing with your head! He made you go insane!" Tyler objected to my statement, pointing a finger at Klaus.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Klaus cautioned briskly, his darkened eyes darting back to Tyler. "Mind you, you came here to see me. What is it that you so desperately need to discuss with me, mate?"

"You have to let her go! You have to give her back her life and leave her alone… She's not your property!" Tyler curtly listed his conditions.

Klaus disdainfully rolled his eyes at him. "I never took away her free will. Even more so, her attitude is what I enjoy the most about her. I would be a fool to take it away from her."

"He's telling the truth, Tyler. I never lied to you… I want to be with him." I said quietly, my eyes filled with remorse.

"This is… It can't be!" Tyler exclaimed angrily. "He led you to believe that you love him! It's not real, Caroline!"

Klaus' annoyance grew more pronounced. "You can't actually be this delusional, boy. Let's say that I did compel her… She would've gone inside when I asked her to. Yet, she's still standing here, defending you, even when you're not worthy of her pity."

"Watch it!" Tyler hissed. "You're manipulating her! Or maybe you forced one of your witches to perform some sort of spell... God knows what you did! This is one big joke!"

"It's not my fault that she needs a man, not a boy." Klaus retorted tauntingly. "Now leave, or I will make sure that this will be the last temper tantrum you've ever thrown." His casual tone merely contributed to the impact of his threat.

"Please, Tyler…" I begged. "Don't do this to yourself… Don't do this to me. I still care about you… Let it go. He hasn't done anything to trick me, this is what I want. You can blame me, not him."

Tyler briefly contemplated my words, but I should've known that he had never been one to walk out on a fight. He had never been the one to surrender, or to take the easy way out. I watched in horror as he bared his fangs, preparing to attack the Original that he would never be able to beat.

"Oh yes, why don't you go ahead and make my day. Give me a reason to finish you off." Klaus could afford to be arrogant; Invincibility was a convenient attribute.

"No!" I screamed. "Stop it! Both of you!"

"He's asking for it, love. Please, go inside, there's no need for you to witness this." Klaus commanded, voice strained.

He didn't look at me, his eyes still focusing on Tyler.

"Arrogant jerk!" Tyler sneered.

It all happened so fast then. Had I still been human, I probably wouldn't have been able to even register what was happening. But I was a vampire… A vampire who was filled with a thousand emotions that she was sometimes unable to control…

Tyler launched himself at Klaus, and I acted on an impulse. Stupid as it was, I jumped between the two of them, holding up my arms in defense. When I felt the sharp pain that shot through my left arm, it became clear that Tyler had attacked with the intention of doing some serious damage. A hideous cut was what his razor sharp teeth left behind.

I cried in agony, crashing to the ground. All of the sudden, all was quiet. Tyler was panting as he realized what he had done, staring at me in shock.

"Oh, god…. Caroline… I'm so sorry." He gulped, stepping back as he took in the scene of destruction.

I used my uninjured arm to support the other as I crawled backwards, shakily glancing up at them, feeling how Tyler's venom invaded my blood.

Klaus growled furiously. In that moment, he looked less human than I'd ever seen him before. Even though I had grown accustomed to most of his unattractive characterizations, I had to admit that he was seriously scaring me.

"Now you've done it!" He snarled, outraged. The veins beneath his eyes were turning to black as one of his hands roughly grabbed Tyler's throat. "You chose your own fate! I'm going to rip out your pathetic heart!"

"No… I didn't mean to… I love her… I would never…" He sputtered while Klaus' grip was slowly suffocating him.

"No! Please." I whimpered.

Klaus didn't even move a muscle, and I tried again.

"Let him go… Please don't kill him, Nik." I pleaded weakly.

For the first time, Klaus' inhuman mask wavered slightly. He glanced sideways, looking down at me.

"He's my friend… Please don't do this." My voice was trembling as I gazed into his black eyes to try and communicate that I needed him to let it go.

The burning sensation that nagged my arm was getting more prominent with each second that passed, and another whimper left my mouth. Klaus squinted his eyes as they returned to blue, and then he forcefully released Tyler, who crashed into the floor with a loud yelp.

"Count your blessings, boy. You're fortunate that she is my first and foremost concern. Seeing as she needs my attention right now, you get to live another hour before I track you down and end your insignificant little life. If you have any last wishes, I suggest you make good on them while you've still got time. That is if you immediately remove yourself from my sight." Klaus spat, kneeling down beside me.

Tyler got up on his feet, eyes wide. He gave me one last disconcerted look before hurriedly departing. He was wise enough to not doubt Klaus' hunger for revenge.

Klaus breathed heavily, trying to calm himself down as he examined my arm. "That lovesick moron." He grumbled under his breath.

"I'm sorry… All I did was tell him the truth, I swear." I breathed, quivering as Klaus' fingers lightly traced my arm.

"I know. You did well, sweetheart." He murmured as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

It surprised me that he didn't even scold me for interfering with their fight, so I took the initiative to apologize anyway.

"And I'm sorry for… This." I nodded at my bloodstained arm. "I just didn't want anyone to get harmed."

"Yes well, it seems that you failed there." He dryly pointed out, getting up from the floor and pulling me with him. "Alright, up you go…"

He lifted me to my feet, and he guided me back to the house. He was the one supporting most of my weight as I staggered along, the excruciating pain dulling my senses. My eyes needed some time to adjust to the dim hallway as he led me through the back door; It had been extremely bright and sunny outside. We entered the living room, and he sat down on the couch, gently pulling me onto his lap.

I tried to ignore my painfully stinging arm as he rolled up his sleeve, baring his fangs and tearing into his own wrist without even wincing. I watched in fascination as the most effective medicine known to the supernatural community welled up from the wound.

"There we go again... Go ahead." He encouraged, holding up his arm to me.

Major déjà vu. But unlike last time, when the setting had been similar yet very different, I didn't hesitate. I dug in, his blood easing the pain within mere seconds. I vaguely entertained the thought that the bite of a hybrid had suddenly become fairly less distressing as far as I was concerned, considering that the uncommon cure was available to me at all times now. His blood tasted as sweet as I remembered, and I greedily kept drinking. I was faintly aware of his other hand, soothingly brushing the hair on the back of my head.

"That should do it." He said, carefully withdrawing his arm.

I sighed contentedly as the wound started to heal, snuggling against his chest and leaning my head on his shoulder. I still felt frail, but the bothersome ache was gone.

"Much better." I mumbled. "Thank you…"

"Anytime, love."

I simply savored the feeling of being in his arms as we sat in silence for a while. I could feel myself getting stronger, my brain becoming less blurry.

"Nik?" I questioned when something abruptly came back to mind.

"Yes?"

I swallowed uncomfortably before bluntly broaching the subject that needed discussing. "Is there anything, anything at all, that I can say to you that will stop you from going after Tyler and ripping off his head?"

When he didn't reply, I raised my eyes, making eye contact.

"He brought this on himself." Klaus said lowly, staring at nothing in particular, not directly answering the question. "He had to go and provoke me, and on top of that he nearly killed you."

"I know, but that was an accident… He's confused, and upset… And most importantly he's heartbroken. And I'm not saying that he had a right to come here and assault you, but you have to understand that what I did to him was far from pleasant…" I implored urgently.

"Does it look like I care what's going on inside his feeble mind?" Klaus snapped.

I smiled sourly. "You don't care. I get it, you never do. But I care, Tyler has helped me through some very rough times."

"Tyler…" Klaus mockingly repeated his name. "Hurt the woman I love, and therefore does not get to have any form of sympathy or forgiveness." He finished his sentence.

I raised both my eyebrows. Despite our disturbing conversation I was distracted, my undead heart swelling at his words. Did he just say 'love'? Out loud? While fully conscious?

"What did you just…" I started but was unable to finish, afraid that I was pushing him too far, too fast.

But there was no need for me to hold back. He also realized what he'd let slip, and that it was something very crucial.

He shook his head, smiling ruefully as he gazed down at me. "Oh dear… Look what you've done to me, Caroline Forbes."

"What do you mean by that?" I murmured, not sure whether to be offended or not.

"I've told you before… Love is a vampire's greatest weakness. For centuries I haven't truly cared for anyone… Rest assured, I care about my family, but up until now I always ensured that no one could ever get anywhere near them. Just like no one or nothing could ever get anywhere near me… Which made it so simple for me to take lives, or to get revenge… You see, making enemies is not that problematic when you have nothing to lose... But now… You may very well be the end of me." He elucidated glumly.

My eyes flickered to his. He seemed conflicted, immensely so.

"It was never my plan to be the end of you… I'd rather be the beginning." I tried to give our dusky exchange a more positive turn.

One of the corners of his mouth turned up in an imperceptible smile. "That's a comforting possibility."

"It's more than a possibility… Because I'm afraid that I love you, too…" His confession, along with him saving my life for the second time in a row, were the events that could be held responsible for me saying those three words much sooner than I had initially planned.

He gave me an extensive look, not even trying to keep his amazement hidden from me. "You truly mean it, don't you?"

"Yes... Is it so hard to believe that I fancy you?" I inquired jokingly to take away the tension, borrowing the words that he had used on me on the night of the Mikaelson ball.

That made him laugh, and I shortly laughed along. Nevertheless, I still needed to fix the Tyler situation, and so I brought the subject up one last time.

"But seriously… About Tyler… You have to let it go. We made a deal, right? No pointless killings." This was my last resort; Using our pact as leverage.

"Doesn't that apply to him as well, then? He came here with every intention of taking me down." Klaus countered, grimacing. "This doesn't fit into the category of pointless killings. It was him coming to me. Going after him would be what I like to call 'standing my ground'."

"I know… Regardless, he's my friend. And you murdering him will not help you to win my affection."

He regarded me blankly, giving away nothing as I scrutinized him. I blinked slowly, innocently throwing in a pout. That would make him cave if nothing else could...

"Fine! I will spare his inconsequential life, if it makes you happy." He eventually groaned, submitting. "However if he crosses my path one more time… I refuse to take responsibility for my actions."

I sighed, profoundly relieved. "Thank you." I said, giving him a small peck on the lips. "Really, he wasn't thinking straight, but he would never hurt me on purpose… And we both know that he wouldn't be able to kill you, even if he'd wanted to."

"Do we?" Klaus asked, quirking an eyebrow.

I rolled my eyes as I sat a bit straighter in his lap, bringing my face closer to his. "You're freaking indestructible."

His face suddenly transformed, turning severe. "I'm not so sure about that anymore…" He said soberly, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

My face dropped as well, copying his expression. He was always so confident when it came to his own durability, arrogant even… If he was worrying about something, there was definitely cause for alarm.

"What are you saying?" I probed, my hands anxiously playing with the fabric of his shirt.

He temporarily deliberated before defining himself, his eyes holding mine. "Seeing as we've established that we can trust one another, I reckon it wouldn't be fair if I kept this from you… What I was referring to, is the fact that Rebekah presented me with some rather disturbing news this morning…"


	21. Torn

At his announcement, I uncomfortably shifted in his lap. The feeling of uneasiness nestled itself in the pit of my stomach.

"What news, Nik?" I prompted.

He bemusedly glimpsed down at my arm, which was now completely healed, but still covered in dried blood. "We're not entirely sure yet if there's a reason for concern, but it came to Rebekah's attention that the white oak tree that we burned down centuries ago, may have sprouted an unwelcome descendant."

I directly understood the problem that he was sketching, and a shiver ran down my spine. "And a piece of wood from the white oak tree is lethal to an Original." I whispered, astounded by how much that thought terrified me.

"Yes." Klaus affirmed unnecessarily. "Needless to say, I'm not an easy target… But with my idiot of a brother still out there, who is more than willing to die for the greater good, I can't take any risks. Let's not forget that the five of us are still linked together."

"But, assuming that there really was another white oak… The remains of that tree could be anywhere…" I muttered slowly.

His arms were gently tightening around me as he responded. "Precisely. Therefore this is a matter of great importance. I need to find whatever is left of that tree before the Salvatores find out about it and start digging."

"And you have no clue where to start?" I surmised.

He cleared his throat, his blue eyes finally meeting mine. "Well, Rebekah discovered that there probably are some useful records at the Salvatore house… Lately she's been hanging out with Damon Salvatore in order to do some silent research, and I have good hope that she will soon come upon something helpful. My sister is nothing if not thorough."

I pulled a face. "That, she is." I had to admit, even if I wasn't very fond of Rebekah.

Klaus fleetingly smirked at my unhidden loathing of his sister, but he was soon back to solemn. "Yes well, until then, I infer that all there's left to do is hope that the wrong people won't find out."

"Who else knows?" I checked.

"No one, love. One would think that by now you know me well enough to grasp that I wouldn't be as foolish as to willingly put my fate in someone else's hands." He mocked me, some humor in his eyes as he lightly tugged at one of my blonde curls.

"You told me." I contradicted.

He pulled me even closer to his chest, even if that seemed impossible with him already crushing me to him, and he rested his chin on top of my head. "Then consider this me giving you proof that I truly trust you."

I closed my eyes in contentment, hugging my body against him. He sincerely trusted that I wouldn't run to my friends to sell him out, and I sure as hell wasn't going to give him a reason to accuse me of taking part in his demise. This time, I was going to be selfish. I so badly needed him to be a part of my life, and him dying would seriously mess up that plan. The situation that I was in was a shrill contrast to the way things used be…

About a month ago, this would've been spectacular news. I would've passed it on to my friends, and Damon would've come up with some sort of reckless plan, causing all of us to blindly go on a mission to slay some Originals. And possibly get killed in the process. In any case, everything was different now… If this ended in war, I would do my best to make sure that none of my friends were going to get hurt; Nothing had changed there. Nonetheless, at the same time, I also didn't want him to get hurt. And I was done giving myself a hard time about it. I was through feeling guilty about having feelings for Klaus.

Besides, Elena -for one- had no right to speak. She would give her life to protect Stefan and Damon; The men that she loved. And crazy as it seemed, I would rather stake myself than to betray the man that I loved.

He kissed the top of my head, and I buried my face in the crook of his neck, placing a small kiss there. Our intimate moment was cut short when my phone started ringing. He released me from his firm embrace, offering me the opportunity to search my pocket and answer the call.

"Oh, wonderful!" I growled sarcastically when I saw that it was Elena's name on the screen. Speak of the devil…

The phone never stopped going off, because I was in no mood to talk to her.

"You don't want to speak to her." Klaus' comment was a conclusion, not a question.

"No… She's most likely calling because she wants to lecture me." I replied wearily.

"You think she already knows? About us, I mean?" Klaus asked, frowning.

"Yep." I said, popping the P.

"Figures… I was aware that news travels fast in this dreary little town, but this has to be a new record, even for Mystic Falls."

"Yeah… I assume that Tyler told Matt, who told Elena, who is now going to stalk me because she's determined to convince me that I'm better off without you." I summarized, tone detached.

"Do you agree with her?" He asked, leaning back slightly so he could use his captivating eyes to put me under his spell.

I intently stared back at him. "Would I be here if I did?"

"You tell me. All I know is that you care a great deal about your friends. I'm not blind, Caroline. It's not hard to see that you're torn between me and them. And as much as I hate to put you in a position where you have to take a side, I think you should give it some thought, because I'm afraid that it will unequivocally come down to that…" He was simply stating the facts; It didn't sound like he was reproaching me, or even trying to get me on his team.

"Well… You should know that, if it ever comes down to that, I will do whatever it takes to protect my friends… But I will also do everything within my power to protect you." I specified resolutely.

His riveting smile reminded me of why I had bothered to connect with him in the first place. "How difficult it is for me to comprehend that you care that much about me." He murmured, genuinely amazed.

I laughed quietly. "Back at you."

"But Caroline?" He said, voice earnest.

"Yes?"

"I know how stubborn you can be at times, and I'm well aware that I can't stop you once your mind is made up… But for the love of all that's holy, don't put your own safety at risk while throwing yourself in the middle of all this." His warning was grave.

"I'll try..." I mumbled.

I didn't speak in guarantees, because honestly, I couldn't. Less than an hour ago I had unthinkingly attempted to keep two angry hybrids from attacking each other. With my exasperating emotions always getting the best of me, there was no way that I could swear to Klaus that I wouldn't do anything reckless.

My phone beeped. Again. Elena. Again. She was sending a text now.

'Stop ignoring me. We need to talk. You have no idea what you're getting yourself into. I don't want you to get hurt… Please.'

I groaned, reluctantly detaching myself from him and getting up from his lap. I felt as good as normal; His blood was really something.

"You're leaving?" He asked, following my example and getting up as well.

"Yes. I've known Elena my entire life. She won't stop bothering me unless I talk to her. I'd rather do this in person than over the phone." I explained. "Besides, I need a shower and some clean clothes." I added, holding up my bloody arm.

"I see… Do look after yourself, love. I take it your friends are not going to be very understanding about the recent developments between the two of us." He warned.

"I know… I will watch my back." I promised. "And I want you to do the same."

He rolled his eyes, playing the indifferent-card to put my mind at ease. "You mustn't waste your time worrying about me. In fact, I recall someone telling me earlier today that I'm 'freaking indestructible'." He grinned mischievously as he replicated my words.

I smiled back halfheartedly, not entirely comforted. "Right... So, you keep that in mind. I'm counting on your everlastingness, Nik. Don't disappoint me."

He incredulously shook his head, his smirk still in place. "As you wish."

"Good. I'll be going then."

"Yes…" He stepped closer to me, planting a kiss on my lips that was loving yet solid.

It was such a normal gesture. He was kissing me the way an average boyfriend would kiss his girlfriend when saying goodbye to her. And I loved every second of it. He pulled back, tenderly caressing my cheek with the back of his hand. "Goodbye, love."

"Goodbye." I responded, dazed.

I flashed him a last smile before heading for the door. I was already halfway when I changed my mind, turning on my heels. He was eying me questioningly.

"Visit me tonight?" I blurted out boldly.

He arched his eyebrows. "That's temping. Although I must say that I highly doubt if your mother would approve."

"Okay… Let me translate that for you; Use the window, buddy." I hinted, taking several steps towards him.

He cringed visibly at the word 'buddy', and his facial expression caused me to snicker.

"Anyway, it's up to you. See you when I see you." I said, swiftly leaning in and nonchalantly kissing the corner of his mouth.

As I turned around for the second time and darted out of the room, I heard him call after me...

"Don't lock your window, sweetheart."

-xxx-

"Caroline, thank god!" Elena's face radiated relief as she opened her door to let me in.

I smiled mechanically as I went inside the Gilbert house. After I'd gone home to put on a decent shirt, I had gone straight to Elena's place, planning to get this out of the way as quickly as possible. Postponing this talk was not going to make it any less dreadful.

I followed her into the kitchen, where she'd been busy doing the dishes. We were both silent as we sat down at the breakfast bar, but Elena opened the conversation soon enough.

"So… Is it true?" She asked, altogether neglecting the art of subtlety.

"I you're referring to me being in love with Klaus… Then yes." I confessed without putting up a struggle, knowing that denying was useless.

Her mouth fell open, and her brown eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets.

"I'm sorry, Elena. It just happened… That's the thing with love, it just happens. I didn't ask for any of this…" I rambled defensively while she was gawking at me.

"Oh my god… Caroline, that's crazy! He's cruel! He's a cold-blooded murderer! He's… Klaus…" She listed when she was able to speak again, sounding hysterical.

I exhaled deeply, shoulders slumping. "Listen, I'm not asking for your support, and I hardly expect you to understand it... To be honest, I'm still trying to get used to it, myself." I muttered truthfully.

"How did this even happen?" She asked, staggered.

I shrugged, folding my hands together in my lap. "That's a very good question..."

"Really, Care… Why did you even give him an opening to get under your skin?" She insisted, still on the verge of hysteria.

"I'm not sure… It's just, he kept coming on to me, begging me to give him a chance… And then I did, because I was so certain that he would never manage to make me fall for him. But after spending some time with him… He turned out to be so much more than the vile monster that I believed him to be." At the end of my revelation, my voice was down to a whisper.

"And you're absolutely sure that you're not… Compelled?" Elena verified cautiously.

I groaned exhaustively. "Not you, too! Seriously, it's lovely to know that everyone thinks so much of me! I would've known, Elena… The feelings I have for him are all mine."

"I'm sorry." She apologized quietly, toning down. "I was only checking… Klaus is the master of manipulation. But never mind, if you say that you're acting on your own free will, I trust your judgment."

"Thank you." I responded coolly. "So, what's up next? Are you going to give me a speech? Hand me a list of fifty reasons why I should end things with him?" I continued, sounding more bitter than I'd originally intended.

She sighed worriedly. "Would it make a difference?"

"No…" I admitted instantaneously so that she could save her energy. "You can't simply change how you feel about someone. You of all people should know, right? I mean with Stefan… And Damon."

A weak smile touched her eyes. "I wish I had a brilliant comeback to that. But I don't. I can relate…"

I cracked a tiny smile as well. We regarded each other in silence, not sure what else there was to say about this unsolvable dilemma.

"So… Where are the two of you currently standing?" Elena asked after a long moment had passed, for the most part curious now.

I let out a hollow laugh. "I very much doubt if Nik would ever use the words 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend', but I suppose that's the way things are right now."

One of Elena's eyebrows lifted critically. "Nik?"

An unwished-for blush crept up my cheeks. "Yeah, please don't even ask."

She held up her hands, dropping the subject. "Fine. All I'm saying is that this whole you-dating-Klaus thing is a bit surreal to me."

"Join the club. We've got t-shirts." I joked, figuring that a small dose of self-mockery had never killed anyone.

Elena snorted briefly, but she was rather serious when she spoke again. "All I hope is that he genuinly cares for you. I wouldn't want to see you get hurt… You don't deserve it, Care..."

"Oh, come here, you." I said, sponteanously pulling my best friend in for a hug.

No matter what, she meant well. Also, her concern wasn't exactly misplaced…

A sharp knock against the door startled us, and we both sat straight.

"Great." Elena said grouchily as she got up to answer the door. "I could do without visitors for one day."

She skipped out of the kitchen, and I heard how she yanked the door open. The next thing that my ears were registering was Damon's voice, and I froze on the spot. If the news had reached Damon Salvatore, he was going to be so pissed off.

I got my answer when he barged into the kitchen, his piercing eyes reprimandingly glaring at me.

"Well, well… If it isn't little-miss-sleeping-with-the-enemy'." He lilted coldly. "Just the person I wanted to talk to…"


	22. Confrontations

Keep calm, stay cool. I inwardly chanted some words of comfort to myself, even though I was on the brink of going haywire. Then again, people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. Damon Salvatore should take a long look in the mirror before even thinking about ciritising others.

"Damon… What an unpleasant surprise." I snappily replied to his sleeping-with-the-enemy remark.

Elena was hot on his heels, also storming into the kitchen.

"What part of 'not now' don't you understand, Damon?" She said sharply. "Please, leave."

"Oh well, seeing as you said 'please'… No, I don't think so." He said, giving Elena a sly look. "Don't worry, I'm not staying for dinner."

Elena's sigh was irritated. "Let it go, Damon. You need to leave."

"And I will. But first, I have some things to discuss with Barbie here." He proceeded, turning away from Elena and squinting his eyes at me.

"Look, I have nothing to say to you. I know what you're thinking, and there's no need for you to rub it in my face." I told him grimly.

"Do you? Because right now I'm thinking that you need a major punch to the head to help you come back to planet 'sanity'." He riposted, drawing out the word 'major'.

"How did you find out anyway?" Elena cut in.

"Yes. What she said." I backed her up, curious to hear who had blabbed.

I had believed Elena to be his source of information, but appearently that was not the case. Tyler and Damon weren't exactly best buddies, and Stefan wasn't one to play the part of traitor...

Damon rolled his steely blue eyes at the both of us. "Rebekah accidentaly told me. Not like it's any of your bussiness."

"No, of course it's not. The almighty Damon Salvatore is free to hang out with an Original, but when I do it, it's considered a crime." I said sarcastically.

"Watch it, Blondie. You're hanging out with Klaus, that's a huge difference. Not to mention you lied to me, telling your little story about finding out about his weaknesses." He accused.

"Yes, to avoid a reaction like this!" I returned snidely.

"You've got to be kidding me! For god's sake, it's Klaus, Caroline!" He emphasised Klaus' name. "The guy has made more victims than World War II! Making other people suffer is his idea of fun. Now I'm not saying that I'm a saint, but Klaus…" He spat, disapprovingly shaking his head like a mother who was about to punish her disobeying child.

I scowled right back at him. "Klaus… Still has some humanity left, the same as we all do. So yes, it made me willing to give him a chance. And maybe it turns out that I made a giant mistake, and perhaps I will end up on the wrong side of the road… But it's not up to you to tell me what I should or shouldn't do!"

"Oh, I wouldn't dare! Because Klaus is not a bad person at all, he is just misunderstood! I even bet that deep down inside, he's nothing but this big, fluffy teddy bear!" Damon cockily showed off his ability to fluently speak the language of sarcasm.

"I'm not stupid, Damon! It's not like I'm unaware of his dark side." I huffed.

"Sure… You know, you turning on us is not going to make it any easier to kick his sorry ass." Damon argued. "I mean, you do understand that you're outside the circle of trust now, right?"

"I'm not turning on anyone! I've known Elena, Bonnie and Matt almost all my life! Stefan has helped me out so many times, I've lost count! I still care about Tyler, a lot! They're my friends, do you expect me to just stand by and watch if Klaus ever tries to hurt them?" I exclaimed, offended. "And even though you are not exactly my favorite, hurting you would mean hurting Elena… Which I would never do, not if I can prevent it."

"She's right, Damon. Caroline has been nothing but a loyal friend. She would never do anything to put any of us in danger." Elena's support was unexpected but heartwarming.

"That may be so, but do you think she'll simply turn her head and walk away if we try to take him down?" He shot back at her, referring to Klaus.

Elena opened her mouth, but no sound came out. I did something similar. There was no honest answer to this question. At least, not an answer that would fully satisfy Damon. His eyes were gliding from Elena to me.

"Your silence says it all." Damon stated harshly.

"Then don't…" I pleaded, whispering all of the sudden.

"Don't, what?" He demanded.

"There's no need to provoke him... Have you ever considered a truce? Some kind of bargain?" I muttered helplessly.

Damon generated a resentful groan. "Don't even go there, Blondie. He's using Elena as his personal blood bag. I'm going to kill that douchebag, even if it's the last thing I do."

"And putting all of our lives at stake by going up against him? Even Elena's?" I asked. "For your information, I did spend an awful lot of time with him, and if he has any weaknesses at all, I have yet to find out."

Oh, how I prayed that he wouldn't catch my lie. Elena was observing the both of us with a heavy frown, but didn't interfere. Lucky for me, Damon didn't bust me. On the downside; He did bring up a whole new point of view that was equally bloodcurdling.

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Blondie."

I urged him by arching an eyebrow at him.

"Really, props to you. Despite getting sidetracked, you did a fabulous job." He said tauntingly. "Even if you didn't mean to..."

"What are you getting at, Damon?" I pressed impatiently.

"Nothing much." He replied all too casually. "Just saying that congratulations are in order… Because if the bastard truly cares for you, you've succeeded at making yourself his biggest vulnerability. That's definitely something that we could use once we come up with a way to kill that spoiled brat."

A wave of nausea hit me as he revealed his plans to use me as a tool. "I'm not playing any part in his downfall!" I protested, glaring at him.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, if I were you. When the time comes, I'm going to need your help, and you'd better not screw with the plan." Damon said lowly, matching my glare.

"Alright, that's enough!" Elena called, putting a hand on Damon's arm to get his attention. "You've made yourself clear, now give her a break."

"Whatever..." Damon growled, not looking at Elena but reluctantly backing off anyway. "Just know that this conversation is nowhere near over." He added threateningly, his eyes boring into mine.

"Stop it, Damon." Elena warned again. "Go."

To my relief he briskly turned around without another word. When the front door loudly slammed shut, Elena gave me a sympathetic smile. She received one of my it's-not-your-fault looks in return.

"I'll talk to him…" She offered dejectedly. "The least he can do is keep you out of this."

"Don't bother." I uttered, holding up a hand. "We both know that nothing is going to stop Damon when he's on a quest to kill Klaus…"

-xxx-

My mom was sitting across from me at the kitchen table, enjoying the pasta that I had cooked for us. When she had called to tell me that she was -for a change- going to be home for dinner, I had volunteered to prepare tonight's meal. Not in the last place to avoid another one of my mother's infamous home cooked experiments.

Whereas she was chewing with a satisfied smile on her face, I was erratically fidgeting in my chair, pushing my food around on my plate. As far as I could tell, she didn't know about me and Klaus yet, otherwise she would've confronted me by now. However with Damon in on the secret, her unknowingness was bound to come to an end within now and twenty-four hours.

So, there were two possible scenarios here; I could either fill her in myself, or she would find out through somebody else, presumably Damon. Both options weren't very appealing, and it left me restless and edgy.

"You're unusually quiet, honey." She suddenly remarked, making me wince.

"It's nothing, just a little tired. Long day." I quickly scooped some pasta into my mouth, hoping to distract her.

"I see… You know, it's very nice of you to make dinner for me, but I half expected that you would want to spend your Saturday with Tyler. After all, the two of you were separated for months." She pried, her watchful eyes investigating me.

Uh oh. Did she know something? No, it couldn't be… This was just me getting all paranoid. All I had to do was keep myself together. Plan A; Trying to act like nothing is out of the ordinary.

"Well yes, that was the plan… But Tyler has been gone for so long, and he has to catch up on so much schoolwork… I do want him to graduate, like the rest of us. With me being there, he surely wouldn't get anything done." I said lightly, trying for an innocent tone.

"I see… The reason I'm asking is because Carol Lockwood called me this afternoon. She was worried about her son… It seems that he was very upset about something, but he refused to talk to her about it. She asked me if it had anything to do with you, seeing as you paid him a visit today." She informed me, her penetrating gaze never softening.

I coughed nervously, realizing that it was time to switch tactics. Plan B; Denial.

"I-I wouldn't know." I soundlessly cursed myself for stuttering. "I only stayed for an hour or so."

"Really?" My mother frowned skeptically at me.

Oh jeepers, I knew that look; She was on to me. Boy, was she on to me! It was the very look that she often used to give me back when I was a little kid, whenever I'd stolen something from the cookie jar. Mayday, mayday! This is a code red!

"Yes, really." I choked out hopelessly.

"Oh… That's funny you see, because ten minutes before I left the station to head home, Damon came to see me. He told me a story that was considerably different from yours." She enlightened me, her grey eyes narrowing.

Dammit. Stupid, stupid Damon. He had gone behind my back, tipping off my mother. I was going to kill him. Regardless, it was too late. This was it... My mom had already known the instant she came home, but she had given me a fair chance to bring it up myself. Tangent, I had remained silent as the grave, and right now she was presenting me with a last opportunity to spill my guts.

There was only one thing that I had left to hold on to now... Plan C; Praying for a bunch of aliens to show up and drag me away to their mother ship, then abduct me to their planet.

"Fine!" I exploded, springing up from my chair. "What do you want me to say, really? I'm sure Damon didn't fail to provide you with all the gory details!"

"So it's true then?" She asked softly, seeking confirmation as she got up from the table as well.

"Yes, it's true! Yes, I'm in love with the man everybody loathes! Yes, I know it's insane to have this sort of feelings for him! Yes, I know that it would be better if I forgot about him and picked Tyler instead! But love doesn't work that way, mom!" I babbled, agitated.

Her vacant stare betrayed her shock, as did her temporary inability to speak.

"Look, I'm sorry…" I was a bit calmer now. "But there's nothing I can do or say that will change the facts."

"Oh god, sweety…" She finally spoke, voice muted.

"He's different when he's around me…" I told her, glancing down at the table to escape her scrutinizing eyes. "I know that it sounds like I stole that line from some cheesy movie, but he truly is."

Her heavy sigh was cynical. "Oh Caroline… This is… I don't even know what to say…"

I peeked up at her, only to catch her rattled gaze. "Honey, I know that you're always trying to see the good in people. You're very forgiving, and don't get me wrong, that's a wonderful quality… But there are exceptions…"

"And Klaus is one of those exceptions. Yes, I get it. Probably because I've been told a gazillion times!" I quipped.

"Then don't you agree that it's time to start wondering if maybe you should listen to other people's advice?" She suggested pressingly.

"No, mom. I'm afraid it's far too late for that… The damage is done, okay! I care too much about him!" I spilled rashly.

"But think about all the terrible things that he's done!" She implored, eyes widening.

"I know that! Yes, he has caused an unacceptable amount of mayhem for all of us. But what about Damon? And Stefan? Alaric, even!" I rejoined without thinking. "What about… Me?"

"That's not the same…" She replied, although she didn't sound as stern as she had before.

"I don't know about that... I guess what I'm trying to say is; We all have blood on our hands. When you're a member of the supernatural society you have to give out second chances on a regular basis, otherwise you'll end up spending eternity all by yourself." I openheartedly shared my beliefs with her, attempting to pull a small bit of understanding out of her.

She breathed noisily, her hands grabbing the chair in front of her for support. "I can see where you're going with this, Caroline… But still, it's Klaus! The guy barely deserves to live, and yet you're talking about him like he means the world to you…"

I said nothing. There was nothing to say. Lying was bad. Denying would be the same as lying. That's why I settled for silence. My mom didn't need much time to put the pieces of this puzzle together. She knew me well. Too well.

She was shaking her head, her glassy eyes never releasing me. "It happened the night that he saved your life, didn't it?"

I pensively bit my bottom lip at first, but after a short minute I did answer her. "For him, yes. It took him a while to make me fall with him, but he managed…"

Again she shook her head. "You should put an end to this. Whatever's going on between you and Klaus, it has to stop right now."

"No…" I whispered. "I don't want it to stop… And neither does he."

"For crying out loud, use your common sense, Caroline!" She pleaded. "You know what kind of person he is... I trust that you can see that he could never make you happy, not in the long run. I'm sure that he can be very charming when he wants to be, but he's never going to change."

"I'm aware… But what if I don't need him to change in order to be in love with him?" I forced my lips into a miniscule smile that was meant to be apologetic. "I love you, mom, and I'm sorry for letting you down… But I'm afraid that we're going to have to agree to disagree…"

-xxx-

Tears were burning behind my eyes as I stalked into my room, slamming the door behind me. My mother had left to attend some meeting, but not before she had made it clear that she was nowhere near done with me. She'd better take a number and stand in line, because Damon had thrown a comparable threat at me.

How much I hated this. Drama with my friends. Drama with my mom. But I had it coming, right? That's what you get when you hook up with the enemy, as Damon had so delicately put it.

I kicked off my shoes and tossed myself onto the bed, facing the door. Several of Klaus' drawings were hanging on the wall next to it. My eyes paused on the image that showed him and me as we were riding Dawn. I folded my arms around myself, instinctively holding my stomach as I started to feel queasy.

"Everything will be just fine… I can handle this. It's not like I'm breaking the law by loving you…" I was mumbling at the wall like the deranged girl that I had become.

"That's right, sweetheart. Loving someone by no means qualifies as an offence." His deep voice startled me; I hadn't heard him come in.

Marvelous. The object of my affection had witnessed how I chatted to myself like a lunatic.

I felt how he laid down behind me, wrapping his arms around me and placing them over mine. He kissed my hair, making me shiver with pleasure as my body melted into his. He was worth it, he had to be. The way he could make me feel with one simple touch or one tiny word was inexpressible.

"I fully understand if you rather want to be left alone right now, love. I could come back later." He proposed, misinterpreting my lack of response. "Or I could track down Damon Salvatore and snap his neck."

That last comment would've been funny if I hadn't known that he was perfectly serious.

"No, don't go. Not ever." I remonstrated promptly. "Because if I go through with this… If I go through with us… You might end up being the only person I have left…"

"Your wish is my command, Caroline. Even if all of your loved ones decide to quit on you, you ought to know that I'm not that easy to get rid of." His warm breath was caressing my neck as he tried to console me. "I'll stay. A week, a year… A century. As long as you want me to..."


	23. Dreams and Dark Sides

Despite spending the night in his sturdy arms, my inner demons were haunting me in my dreams. The night started off restlessly, as I was tortured by images of Damon trying to bring Klaus to an end. In addition to murderous Damon, there were visions of my mother as she was yelling at me, telling me that I was out of my mind. The cherry on top of a brutal night was a scene in which all of my friends were ignoring me, pretending that I didn't even exist. They were all walking out on me one by one…

"Bonnie, please! Me loving Klaus has nothing to do with our friendship…" I desperately cried after my friend, but she rudely walked away from me just like they all had done, not once looking back.

She was the last to leave. Matt, Tyler, Elena and Stefan had already turned their backs on me in previous scenes. She was leaving me behind, not seeming to care at all. I was all by myself in the middle of the dark, dreary forest of Mystic Falls. Rain was pouring down, soaking me to the bone. I let myself sink to the wet forest floor, cradling my head in my hands.

"No, this isn't fair… I haven't done anything wrong…" I panted forlornly, overcome by a sickening feeling of loneliness.

That's when the scenery suddenly changed... All at once, the nightmare was slipping away. It was almost as if I was being pulled out of my own twisted fantasies by some invisible force.

The muddy ground that I was kneeling down in shifted, turning into warm sand as the sun replaced the rain. My head flew up, and I noticed that the trees were gone, revealing a clear blue sky. I heard the sound of waves, crashing to the beach. I hesitantly got up to my feet, bewilderedly turning around to see the sight of the ocean. I blinked in admiration, taking everything in as I tentatively made my way to the place where the water was drowning the sand. There was the sparkling sea, a couple of seagulls lazily flying over the waves. The white dunes. The occasional patch of grass, swaying in the subtle breeze….

It wasn't until now that I noticed that I was barefoot, and that my mud-stained clothes were gone; I was wearing a simple yet elegant blue sundress.

"Wow…" I whispered as my toes connected with the cool water.

"Stunning, isn't it?"

His familiar voice came from right beside me, and when turning my head I was met by his eyes. They were reflecting the same shade of blue as the sea, looking straight into my soul.

"Nik…" I responded dreamily. "Yes, I love the sea."

"So do I… Although, your beauty makes the ocean rather dull in comparison." He murmured quietly, making me blush.

"Now you're exaggerating." I dismissed his compliment. "Wait… Where exactly are we?" I added, realizing that we were nowhere near Mystic Falls anymore.

He shrugged indifferently. "I'm not sure, love. Does it matter?"

"I guess not…"

I felt how his fingers gently curled around mine. "How about a dance?" He said. "After all, we've only danced this one time, and you weren't too eager back then."

I glanced to the side, eyebrows raised. "Dance? Here? But there isn't any music."

He smirked. "That's alright... You know, rumor has it that you are quite the singer."

"No way!" I protested, cheeks flaming as I recalled that time when I had played rock star at the Mystic Grill in order to try and win Matt back. "I'm not singing."

"Pity. Well you could just hum. Or sing in your head." His grin was wide as he pulled me into his arms.

"Only if you hum with me." I negotiated.

"Ah, why not." Klaus gave in easily, leading me into the dance. "Besides, the sound of the waves has a nice rhythm to it, don't you think?"

"That's true…" I mumbled, resting my chin on his shoulder as we started to sway to the song of the sea.

We danced for hours. Days. Forever. It would never be long enough. At some point I lifted my head so that I could look him in the eye.

"I love this place… Thank you for taking me here." I said, even though I wasn't so sure where 'here' was, and how I had gotten here to begin with.

"My pleasure, sweetheart."

He lowered his face, his soft lips brushing along mine. I closed my eyes, sighing as I got lost in his kiss…

My eyes opened with a small jolt, and I gasped, gazing directly into his eyes. He was hovering over me, one of his hands resting against my temple. My hazy brain soon caught on.

"Was that… You?" I slurred sleepily. "Did you… Give me that dream?"

He chuckled softly. "My apologies for interfering with your nightmares, but in my opinion, you had gone through enough suffering for one day."

"I don't think I mind… I liked it…" I mumbled, drifting towards unconsciousness again. "I love you…"

He sounded amused when replying. "As I love you, my Caroline. Now go back to sleep, it's only four in the morning."

My eyes were so heavy that I had no problem whatsoever to obey, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep.

-xxx-

The stifled hum of a buzzing cellphone was what woke me from my peaceful slumber. The phone in question didn't belong to me though, and I heard how Klaus cursed under his breath before he answered the call. I opened my eyes and saw him sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to me.

"Bekah, do you have to call at six in the morning?" He picked up, his raspy voice annoyed.

I groaned as I sat straight, my head feeling heavy. "Somebody better be dying." I grumbled groggily.

Human or vampire; I had never been a morning-person. When Klaus noticed that I was awake, he turned his head to flash me a smile, but it lasted no longer than three seconds…

"What? You've got to be kidding me." He barked into the phone, his face twisting into a menacing grimace. "What an idiot… That pup clearly has a death wish. Never mind, I'll take care of it."

I slowly moved to the end of the bed where he sat talking to his sister over the phone, positioning myself behind him as I wondered what the hell they were discussing.

"Yes, why don't you deal with the damage, then I will deal with the intruder. I'll see you later." He ended the conversation, and I eyed him curiously.

"What was that?" I asked cautiously.

"I believe you just mentioned that somebody better be dying, and from the looks of it, somebody will be. Soon." He growled, eyes dark and calculating.

He was about to stand up from the bed, but I restrained him. My arms snaked around his waist, locking themselves around him from behind. I pressed my body against his back, placing my chin on his shoulder. I felt how he tensed, letting out a rumbling breath while trying to keep his anger in check.

"Alright. Tell me what's going on." I impelled in a calm but unyielding manner.

Mark my words; I was going to make sure that the king-of-everything fessed up to me before wickedly running off to go on one of his murderous rampages.

"If you must know, the problem is your ex-boyfriend." He spoke through gritted teeth.

"Tyler?" I gulped, tilting my head to the side so I could take a better look at Klaus' face. "What about him?"

"Apparently, he is the kind of person who goes and makes the same foolish mistake twice." He snapped, irritated. "He showed up at the mansion, demanding to see me. When Rebekah told him to run along because I wasn't there, he refused to leave and started trashing the place. According to my sister there's not one window that's still intact. Very mature, I must say."

Oh my… Impatience, pointless raging, turning to aggression whenever there was a bump in the road… Zero maturity. It definitely sounded like Tyler back when he was at his worst, around the period when the werewolf curse had been triggered.

"Oh god…" I mouthed. "I am so, so sorry."

He glowered at me. "You are sorry? I don't see how his lack of self-preservation has anything to do with you, love."

I sighed remorsefully. "I dumped him to be with you, Nik. That's the only reason he's going out of his mind right now. This is absurd behavior, even for Tyler."

"I'll take your word for it. Nevertheless, I don't care about his personal issues. He crossed the line." Klaus sneered.

"Please, don't do anything reckless." I begged. "It's not that bad, right? It's just… stuff. I'll help you clean up the mess." I added desperately.

"On the contrary, it is that bad. So far the boy has threatened me, assaulted my home, injured my most valuable possession... There's no excuse for him." He summarized severely.

"Wait, he harmed Rebekah as well?" I verified, frowning.

He rolled his eyes. "I meant you, you silly girl."

"Oh…" The impact of his words made that this was the only word that I could verbalize.

"Which is why, I have no other choice but to do this…" He said, pulling away from my embrace and turning around so he could see into my eyes. "I'm very sorry, sweetheart. But I will not allow you to get yourself hurt again while trying to protect that delusional former boyfriend of yours."

"What are you…" I started, but he cut me off.

His strong hands were cupping my face as he forced me to keep my eyes on his. His pupils were dilating, hinting that it was time to start struggling.

"No!" I yelped.

I tried to free myself, but he was too strong. He briefly closed his eyes, seeming conflicted for a split second. Unfortunately, he recovered acutely, opening his eyes again and linking them to mine.

"I have an errant to run, Caroline. I want you to stay inside this house where you will be safe. You will not be able to leave until I tell you that the coast is clear." His hypnotic voice cooed softly as he compelled me.

"No, Nik… Please… You can't hurt Tyler. I'll talk to him! I'll convince him that he has to leave us alone." I dispiritedly suggested. "No more randomly killing people, you promised." I whimpered.

"I wouldn't call this random, love." He countered. "He had to go and provoke me, I showed him some mercy on your behalf, yet he does it again. Granted, time has taught me to be a patient man, but my tolerance only goes so far. I think it's time for me to have a word with him."

"Please…" I beseeched a last time.

He indistinctively shook his head, sending me a smile that was highly tempting but badly timed. He ever so tenderly pressed his lips to my forehead. Although I should've flinched away, his imperceptible hold on me never failed to do its job. I knew what he was up to, and the mere thought made my blood turn to ice, but it was dangerously difficult to resist him.

"I won't be long. You will be free to do as you please by the end of the morning." He casually informed me. "Also, there's no need to try and stop me, love. You can't."

His hands dropped from my face as he stood up. He strode the room, aiming for the window.

"You can't do this, Nik!" I exclaimed, snapping out of my trance.

Panic washed over me as I realized that this was my last chance to prevent him from going after Tyler. The response I got was a wistful smile, and then he was out of the window. I intuitively followed him, but as I attempted to yell out of the window, I crashed into an invisible wall.

"Come back, Nik! Let me out of here!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, but to no avail. "We made a deal, damnit!"

-xxx-

The work of the chief of police was never done, and I thanked the heavens for that. The nerve-racking position that I was in would've been a lot worse with my mother monitoring my every move, but thankfully she had already left for the station.

I was anxiously pacing the house back and forth, feeling like I was suffocating. Never mind that I didn't actually need oxygen. I skipped from room to room, at a loss what to do. I couldn't get out of the prison that was my own home, that much was obvious. But then what? There was no way that I was going to call my friends. I could afford to try and stop Klaus, seeing as he would never hurt me, but they couldn't. I would never forgive myself if even more people got hurt because of me.

I had to get out of here, I just had to. For the umpteenth time I opened the front door, only to bump into another invisible force field. I felt so helpless, but there was no way that I could solve this. I could call Bonnie… No. Her witchy magic hadn't been enough to set Stefan free from Klaus' compulsion, so it would be no use to drag her into this.

After once again shutting the door, I let out a deafening squeal of frustration. When that Original came back, the first thing I would tell him was that it was time that he started looking for a new girlfriend. This was way beyond insane.

I lost track of time, and so I had no idea how long I'd been marching around the house like a brain-dead zombie when my phone rang. With shaky hands I checked the display, frowning when it was Matt's name lighting up.

"Matt, hey…" I answered the phone with an unsteady, too high voice. "Is everything okay?"

His tone told me that he was genuinely relieved that I had picked up. "Care! Actually, I was about to ask you the very same thing..."

"Sure, I'm fine. Why are you asking?" I questioned, more than a little suspicious.

"Tyler is here. He just collapsed on my doorstep, and he was worried about you. He talked about Klaus saying something about how he had made sure that you wouldn't be able to come between the two of them this time." He explained in a rush.

"Wait, Tyler is with you? Alive?" I asked urgently.

"Yeah, sort of." Matt replied sinisterly. "I mean, I'm not a doctor, but I doubt if there's a bone left in his body that isn't broken."

"How dare he." I hissed inaudibly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing, Matt. Just tell Tyler that there's no need to worry, Klaus didn't do anything other than trap me inside my own house. And take care of him, please." I instructed wearily. "I'll be over there as soon as I'm... Not grounded anymore." I finished bitterly.

"That bastard." Matt spat. "Anyway, I'll tell Tyler. He's recovering on the couch, I stuffed him with painkillers."

"You're the best." I thanked him before hanging up.

I threw the phone onto the kitchen table, falling down into one of the wooden chairs, resting my head in my hands. I concentrated on breathing in and out as I organized my thoughts. As distressing as this was, some of the weight had left my shoulders now that I knew that Tyler had survived. He was battered and bruised, but he was a hybrid; He would heal. It goes without saying that I was immensely happy about that, but it did make me wonder why... Why hadn't Klaus killed him? Doing things halfway was not his style, and it wasn't like he wasn't capable of ending Tyler's life in a heartbeat, had he truly wanted to.

The screeching sound of the backdoor put an end to my inner debate. My eyes flickered to the door, and it annoyed me to no end when Klaus nonchalantly strolled inside, as if nothing had happened. It hardly looked like he had recently been in a fight with a bad-tempered hybrid. Even more; He didn't have one single scratch, his clothes unruffled.

"Sweetheart… Why the long face." He feigned innocence as he sat down on the chair right next to me, putting his hand on my knee.

"No." I snapped, moving my leg, withdrawing in a reflex.

"Oh come on, don't be like that. For your information, the boy lived to tell the tale. He broke my windows, I broke his bones… An eye for an eye." He said, as if that made everything alright.

"I know, Matt called…" I told him, jaw clenched. "Doesn't matter, though. I honestly don't want to talk to you right now. Or even see you. Now let me out of here."

I scowled in his direction, but his face was impenetrable, his dark eyes vacant. "Why don't we talk first?"

"Yes, why don't we? Oh wait, here's a thought! Why don't you stop holding me hostage here, so I can go see my friend who is currently in a lot of pain because of your doing." I retorted sarcastically.

For a brief instant, the blue that colored his eyes went even darker. His mouth was set into an angry line, but he succumbed, his pupils widening as he spoke. "You're free to go wherever you want, and do whatever you want…"

And with that I sprang to my feet, grabbing my car keys from the kitchen sink and hurrying out of the backdoor. He could let himself out. Out of my house, and out of my life, for all I cared.


	24. The Lost and the Lonely

The sight of Tyler, sprawled out on Matt's couch, merely contributed to the anger that I already felt towards Klaus. I swallowed the lump in my throat, hesitantly sitting down on the edge of the small table next to the sofa. Tyler's expression was rather vacant, but his black eyes were not looking away from me. Matt entered the room, carrying a glass of water that he handed to Tyler.

"There you go." He muttered.

Tyler was groaning as he reached out to accept the drink, and I helped him out by passing it on to him. Matt frowned as his friend produced yet another moan. However, he wasn't blind to the tension that was in the air between me and my ex-boyfriend, and he subtly retreated, shuffling out of the room.

"Oh my god, Tyler… This shouldn't have happened…" I whispered when we were alone. "What were you thinking, infuriating Klaus?"

"He manipulated my girlfriend into ditching me so that he could have her all to himself." Tyler rasped. "Do you have any idea how powerless that made me feel?"

In spite of the guilt that was eating me, I narrowed my eyes at his statement.

"Excuse me? Wow, thank you for giving me all that credit! I've told you before, Tyler… Klaus has done many horrid things that I can't even begin to wrap my head around, but he never tricked me into being with him. You're implying that I would have to be retarded to voluntarily fall for him, but as much as it bothers you, I did." I replied sharply.

"I never said that, Care." He grunted, carefully getting up and taking a small sip from his water. "It's just that whenever Klaus wants something, he will do whatever it takes to get it. I know for a fact just how persuasive he can be."

"Trust me, I do, too." I sighed. "But this one's all on me. I can't blame him for the things that he's making me feel… You may have a hard time believing it, but you have to accept that he won my heart fair and square."

"Yeah well, so maybe he did... But how about right now, huh? Don't tell me you're still talking to that jerk after he practically locked you up in your own house?" Tyler challenged, cocking one of his eyebrows at me.

I wisely ignored that comment, seeing as I had no witty response to it anyway. This was one riddle that I had to figure out for myself, first.

"The point is, Tyler, my feelings for you turned out to be different than I thought they were... And yes, perhaps Klaus trying to woo me was the last straw, but aside from that, I would eventually have come to the conclusion that I care for you as a friend…" I uttered the inevitable truth.

Tyler sat straight with a strangled huff, his face a mixture of resentment and plain confusion. He leaned forward to put the glass back on the table. I vaguely noted that hybrids were probably fast healers, for he already looked ten times better than he had half an hour ago when I'd arrived.

"Fine!" He said snappily. "If you want him, suit yourself. I hope the two of you will be very happy!"

I shook my head, getting up from my sitting position. "Please, Tyler… I really don't want to fight with you. You still mean a lot to me."

"Then maybe you should've considered that before you decided to get cozy with the source of all evil." Tyler gloated.

I slumped in defeat, my arms falling limply to my sides as they began to feel numb. "It doesn't have to be like this…"

At that exact moment Matt stepped back inside, giving the both of us a concerned glance. The fact that he regretted interrupting our conversation was written all over his face.

"Everything alright here?" He asked awkwardly.

"Everything's great. The pain is almost gone… I think most of my bones are healed." Tyler informed him, all business. "And Caroline was just leaving." He added, shooting me an urgent stare.

"Yes, I suppose there's nothing left to do for me here." I agreed coolly.

I turned around, casting my eyes downwards to escape Tyler's sullen glower. I despised myself for leaving him like this, but what else could I say or do? It would all come down to the very same thing; I had sacrificed my relationship with Tyler to be with a man whom I wasn't even sure truly understood the concept of love.

I briefly touched Matt's arm while passing him. "I'll see you later, thanks again."

He smiled ruefully. "Sure, anytime. Look out for yourself, Care."

I nodded, giving him a weak smile of my own. "No worries… I always do."

-xxx-

I went straight home, not in the mood for any more socializing today. I absentmindedly walked into the kitchen, firmly shutting the backdoor behind me. That's when I saw him from the corner of my eye, occupying the same place at the kitchen table where he'd been sitting when I had left, over two hours ago. My stomach clenched in surprise, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Seriously? You're here again? I told you that I needed some time off from you." I reminded him with a grim look, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

"No, love. I'm not here again. I never left." He corrected calmly.

"You've been sitting here for the past three hours, even though you were fully aware that it was in vain because I made it perfectly clear that I have no intention of conversing with you?" I phrased mockingly.

He laughed a short, empty laugh. "Ah, you have a way of formulating this that makes me sound tremendously pathetic."

"I call it as I see it." I said, glaring down at him. "Now why don't you do me a huge favor and remove yourself from my kitchen. And my house, in case you were about to come up with any smartass comments."

"I would greatly appreciate it if you at least heard me out." He was not a quitter. "You know, eternity is a very long time to hold a grudge."

"It is, but let's find out how long I will last. As it is, you're getting on my last nerves." I warned.

Not like I was a threat to Mister Invincible, but it was not in my nature to keep my mouth shut and let someone waltz over me.

"Am I, now? Must you be so hard on me?" He kept pushing, using those smashing blue eyes of his to win me over. "I trust that the Lockwood boy is back to his obnoxious self by now. Hybrids are superb healers, but surely you've seen that for yourself when you visited him."

Sure, keep going, you stupid cheater. Keep talking to me in that sexy accent, and keep staring at me with those sensational eyes. It was hard not to let go of my by now almost permanent glare when he was acting like this, but Caroline Forbes was not a quitter either.

"You know what? This isn't even about Tyler!" I exclaimed, leaning against the edge of the kitchen table, making sure to keep some distance between us.

"It's not?" He questioned confusedly.

"Not entirely, no. Look, I'll be honest with you… I know what Tyler can be like at times, and I'm not afraid to admit that a less violent person than you would've lashed out at him when he's going through one of his provocative periods." I allowed. "Still, you shouldn't have done what you did, but I get that Tyler is also not an innocent here."

"Then what's the problem?" He asked, sincerely puzzled.

"The fact that you still have to ask me that says more than enough!" I quipped angrily. "You compelled me! I'm not your pet! You can't just store me away whenever you want me out of the way! If you want to be with me, it would have to start with you treating me as your equal."

"Protecting you was all I was doing, sweetheart." I could see it in his eyes as he tried to justify what he had done; He believed this to be the undisguised truth.

Nonetheless, I stood my ground. "Yes well, good intentions, bad intentions… No matter what your motivations were, it's not alright, Nik. Are you planning to bend me to your will whenever I don't agree with something you do? I was serious when I asked you for some alone time so I could think this through. Quite frankly, it wouldn't hurt for you to do the same."

I didn't get a response out of him. He simply glanced up at me from under his lashes, eyes wide, face blank. In all the time that I'd known him, I'd never seen him look so… Beaten. But that was ridiculous. Nothing could bring the almighty Original hybrid down, right? Especially not a blonde, eighteen year old small-town girl.

"I see…" He whispered, never blinking as he got up from the chair. "If that is what you need, I will give you some room to breathe."

I had to gather every ounce of my willpower not to reach out to him as he walked past me, averting his eyes. My whole body yearned to comfort this deeply disturbed man. I hadn't forgotten what he had done, but my heart was literally aching as I recognized the look of hurt in his eyes. Good or bad, wrong or right, light or dark… There was no denying that I loved him. And I solemnly believed that he loved me in return, albeit in his own extraordinary way.

This was all new to him… Over the centuries, he had without a doubt gotten accustomed to the ever-present loneliness that was always drowning him from the inside. For ages, there had only been one thing that he truly needed to worry about, namely himself… And now all of the sudden, he had someone else to take into account. But as understandable as his behavior was, I wasn't going to give him the impression that it was alright.

I closed my eyes, trying to keep the tears from spilling out as I heard the door, shutting with a soft 'click'.

"Don't give up on me, Nik…" I mumbled weakly to the empty space that he had left behind. "Get yourself together, I know you can do it… You can do anything."

-xxx-

It was three in the morning, and I was aimlessly wandering around Mystic Falls. The town was sleeping, and even though I should be doing the same, I was unable to get any rest.

When my mom had gotten home from work I had fled to my room, only to end up being haunted by the torn expression that had been on Klaus' face when he had left my house like I had ordered him to. In a desperate attempt to escape the walls as they were slowly closing in on me, I had sneaked out of the house, into the foggy night. At first I had distracted myself with some bunny-hunting, but I had soon given up on that. I ended up roaming the streets of my dreary little hometown, not having a clue as to where I was going.

Eventually my journey ended. I sat down on a certain bench, across the street from a certain restaurant… The last time I'd been here, he had been here with me. I peeked to my left, but the other end of the bench was void. For the second time that night, my tears were flowing freely. My memories were merely adding to my misery…

He had dared me to take a chance. He had insisted that I had to try and get to know him. And I had laughed in his face, as if to say; 'In your dreams, pall. I will never fall for your charms'. In the end, he had been right. And I had been wrong. But we had gotten past it…

As for now, things were the other way around. He had been wrong, whereas I had been right. He shouldn't have compelled me… Then again, how could I expect him to change within a couple of weeks? Klaus was a man who had been doing things his way for centuries. Fixing him would require patience and time. Lots of time.

Teardrops were gliding down my cheeks, falling to the ground as I stared ahead of me, eyes fixed on nothing in particular.

"Now there, don't cry, love. It always breaks my heart to see you cry… Even more so when it's because of my doing."

I muffled a surprised scream, twisting my head to the side. He was sitting right beside me, as if he had been there all along.

Without thinking I rubbed my eyes, even knowing that it was too late to hide my grief.

"Are you going to tell me that this is as coincidence?" I sniffed sarcastically. "Stalking people is not cool."

The smile he gave me didn't reach his eyes. "I wouldn't say coincidence. Although in my defense, I wasn't following you around either. Let's say that it was a lucky guess."

I snorted cynically. "Right… And I thought that I was a lousy liar."

He sighed, skipping the sarcasm and the snarky comebacks. "Listen, Caroline… You said you needed time. Now, I have every intention of respecting that, but it kills me to see you like this. Mainly because I want nothing more than to comfort you… I don't want you to be in pain, love."

I wasn't sure how to react, and so I pretended to be busy wiping my tear-stained face.

"Anyway…" He continued. "I came looking for you because there's something I need to tell you…"

Again I sniffled, frowning expectantly at him. "Okay… You came all the way here, so let's hear it."

His eyes were full to the brim with sincerity as he uttered three simple words, effectively shaking my defenses. "I was wrong."

Holy crap… Were my ears deceiving me? Had the untouchable Klaus Mikaelson just now admitted that he was the one who was at fault here? I gawked at him, dumbstruck.

"Excuse me?" I blurted out tauntingly when I could speak again. "Would you mind repeating that? I don't think I heard correctly."

He rolled his eyes at me, one of the corners of his mouth lifting to form a sour smile. "You heard me… I was wrong. It was wrong for me to hold you hostage by compelling you. You were right, it's not my call to control you like that… So, I guess it is for you to decide whether you believe me or not when I tell you that I swear that I won't ever do it again. I'm sorry, love. I truly am."

Thoughts were visibly tumbling through his head as he waited for me to say something. I opened my mouth, but closed it when no words came out. Wonderful! He was pouring out his soul to me, and here I was, imitating a freaking goldfish. I was conflicted, unsure what to tell him. Did I want to make him suffer any longer? Did I want to make myself suffer any longer? Seeing as I needed him every bit as much as he needed me, what good would it be to drag it out?

"You know what? I suppose time will tell if I can trust you." I finally said, letting him off the hook. "Let's get one thing straight, though... Pull one more stunt like that, and I can promise you that it will take you at least a century to get me to forgive you." I threw in a threat to get my point across.

That hardly discouraged him. His eyes lit up, and his lips were creeping towards a real smile now. "Does that mean that I'm forgiven?" He tested, unsubtly scooting over to my side of the bench.

I leaned closer to him to whisper in his ear. "Are you going to stop being a neurotic control freak?" I teased.

He groaned playfully, his warm breath fanning the side of my neck. "Neurotic control freak? How kind of you, Miss Forbes. But to answer your question… Yes, I will try to stop being a neurotic control freak."

"In that case… Yes, you are forgiven." I murmured before softly kissing the hollow beneath his ear.

His arms were winding themselves around me, pulling me flush against him. I sighed contentedly, melting into his side. When I looked up at him, I realized that he was closely observing me.

"I'm not that interesting, Nik." I joked to cover up my self-consciousness.

He flashed me a boyish grin that made him look so young and human, giving me a serious case of the butterflies.

"Is that what you think? Because you're wide of the mark, sweetheart."

I made a funny face at him. "Yeah, yeah… Why don't you use that pretty mouth of yours to kiss me, instead of talking nonsense." I suggested innocently, guiding his attention in a different direction.

"I'd say that's a pretty useful idea." He mused, giving me that signature smirk that I had grown to love over the past weeks.

He made a sudden movement, dipping his head and claiming my lips with his. My goofy giggle was subdued against his hungry lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck as our mouths started dancing together. Both his sweet taste and his intoxicating scent were nearly enough to make me dizzy.

It felt like twenty-four weeks, rather than twenty-four hours ago since I'd last kissed him. Our little reunion had put everything back into perspective; I had trouble lasting a day without him, so where would that leave me if I gave up on him? Where would I be if I had to spent the rest of eternity without his presence? Lost, is where I would be.

I irrationally tightened my grip on him while our lips kept moving, as if he would slip away from me the second I let go. I didn't want to be lost. I was never going to let go…


	25. Taking Sides

Nasty as ever, reality ruined the moment. This time, our wake-up call came in the form of Damon's lilting voice.

"Well, well, look at you lovebirds. This would've been so romantic, if it wasn't absolutely disgusting."

My head shot up, and I looked straight into Damon's appalled face. I was way past feeling guilty about what was going on between me and Klaus, and so I glowered right back at Damon.

Apparently Klaus was not in the fighting mood, for he sounded irritated but restrained when he addressed Damon. "What do you want, Damon?"

Damon shrugged, keeping up his usual nonchalant attitude. "Nothing much. Although now that you mention it… I did catch your little sister, snooping around our house. Seeing as I didn't let her in, and neither did Stefan, I'd say that's breaking and entering." His frosty blue eyes were wide and relentless.

"And you've come all the way here to tell me that?" Klaus growled, slowly detaching himself from me and sitting straighter. "Whatever Rebekah does, that's her business."

I shifted uncomfortably on the bench, because like Klaus, I knew perfectly well what Rebekah had been doing there. As I investigated the smug grin around Damon's lips, I realized that he also was not in the land of the unknowing anymore.

"Oh really? Because something tells me that it's your business as well. You see, when I busted her she was going through an old journal that was entirely devoted to trees." His mouth curled up into a smirk as he emphasized the word 'trees'. "Now correct me if I'm wrong, but Rebekah doesn't strike me as the tree-hugging type. So I was thinking, trees… Originals… Tell me, am I on to something here?" He added cockily.

"What if you are, mate?" Klaus said lowly, standing up to his full length. "What good would it be if I snapped your neck before you have a chance to act on it? Did you come here because you have a death wish?"

"No." Damon replied, averting his head and rudely staring over Klaus' shoulder to where I was sitting. "But with everything going on, I came to tell Barbie that it is about time for her to decide for which team she's rooting."

An irritable response was halfway out of my mouth, but it lost every meaning when Klaus launched himself at Damon. He was using one of his insanely fast movements, holding Damon up against the nearest tree.

"Don't speak to her like that, she doesn't have to decide anything." Klaus was hissing, not talking.

His hand tightened around Damon's neck, but Damon worked hard to make it seem that he wasn't affected by Klaus' suffocating grip.

"Yes, she does." Damon choked out. "Come on, Blondie, be a woman about it! You need to take your pick."

I groaned as I flew up from the bench, glaring at the hybrid and the vampire as they were baring their fangs at each other. I had been up all night, and I was so not in the mood for this. Besides, I was fairly sure that Klaus wasn't going to butcher Damon, since he took way too much pleasure in torturing him. Damon, on the other hand, was obviously on to something, but he wouldn't be able to end Klaus unless he could actually find a piece of that dreaded oak tree first. That was, of course, if we were going with the theory that there was anything left of said tree to begin with.

And so I chose to retreat; I had no interest whatsoever in witnessing the end of this macho-showdown.

"No, Damon. I don't need to take a side. All I truly need right now, is to catch up on some sleep." I announced exasperatedly.

"Yes, maybe that would be best, love." Klaus encouraged, glancing back at me and giving me a wicked smile that momentarily made me fear for Damon's life.

No. He wouldn't do it. By know I knew him well enough to know he wouldn't. I hesitantly took a few steps backwards, walking away from the scene that was unfolding in front of me.

"Don't you dare… leave! I'm not… finished… talking to you…" Damon whimpered, kicking his legs as Klaus choked him even further.

I shook my head. "You're on your own, Damon. And the same goes for you, Nik. I'm done playing referee. Best of luck to both of you, I'm out of here." I tiredly said, at the same time wondering why I was even bothering to excuse myself like a civil person, especially when my apology was aimed at two animals who were at the verge of ripping each other's throats out.

I turned away, opting for running instead of walking as I took off, making sure to drown out any sounds coming from the two bickering men that I'd just turned my back on.

My thoughts were on another continent altogether as I reached my house. However, I regained my focus when I spotted my mom's car in the driveway. I checked my watch. It was almost seven, so she hadn't left for work yet. She was probably having breakfast at this very moment, and the last thing I needed was my mother bestowing another you-need-to-break-up-with-Klaus speech on me.

I weighed the idea of sneaking into my room by climbing through the window... Then again, after I had already avoided her for days, I wouldn't put it past her to drag me out of bed and demand to have a serious talk with me. I bit my lip, deliberating. Like me, my mom could be extremely persistent... Perhaps it would be better to sneak into someone else's bedroom and crash on someone else's bed, just in case…

-xxx-

The Mikaelson mansion always made me feel so small, as well as ordinary. The sun was rising, giving the magnificent building a fairytale kind of glow, but I tried to ignore that as I searched the window to his room. I could've tried the door, but considering that he was out there kicking Damon's ass, it would just be me and the she-devil. Thanks, but no thanks. I think I'll pass.

He had barged into my room without an invitation so many times I'd lost count, which was the reason I felt no shame at all as I gracefully landed on the expensive carpet that covered the floor of his bedroom. I got rid of my shoes and jacket, dropping them to the floor before diving into his large, comfy bed. I was going to stay here, and sleep all day long. And then sleep some more. Screw school. Screw Mondays. After all, I would have the rest of eternity to catch up on my schoolwork.

A satisfied sigh left my lips as I pulled the soft covers up to my chin, inhaling his calming scent as I made myself comfortable. I had been awake for a solid twenty-four hours now, and my eyelids were already beginning to droop. If my Original boyfriend, for lack of a better term, had any problems with my trespassing, he could tell me once I was conscious again…

-xxx-

He didn't mind. I came to that conclusion when I woke up and saw a tray filled with miscellaneous items that was placed on the bedside table. I propped myself up on my elbows to take a better look. There was a fresh made sandwich, a glass of orange juice, and last but not least, a bag of AB positive.

I snorted to myself, shaking my head in disbelief. "No need to woo me anymore, I'm already yours." I mumbled.

Nonetheless, I appreciated the gesture. Also, I was both hungry and thirsty, which made this breakfast in bed even more welcome.

When I was done with shamelessly stuffing my face, the alarm clock on the nightstand caught my eye. Nearly four in the afternoon. I decided to get up, sliding out of the bed, my toes sinking into the fluffy carpet. I assumed that he was home -I hardly expected Rebekah to make me breakfast- and so I went looking for him. I tentatively left his room, browsing the deserted hallway as I shuffled towards the stairs.

While descending the stairs, I heard voices coming from the living room. As I approached the room, I realized that Klaus and Rebekah were arguing, and that I was the topic of discussion.

"The girl is a liability, Nik! Surely you can see that, you can't possibly be that blind." I heard Rebekah say.

"Don't make me lose my temper, Bekah." He snapped. "I'm well aware that her friends are important to her, but I can assure you that she would never betray me."

Instead of entering the room, I halted, curious to find out where this chat was going.

"How can you be so sure? You've known her for, what? Two short months? Are you willing to put your life in her hands? To put my life in her hands?" Rebekah questioned harshly.

There was a brief silence, and I nervously held my breath as I awaited his answer.

"Yes… As a matter of fact, I am." He declared confidently. "She's been putting her life in my hands over and over again, it's only fair for me to return that loyalty."

Rebekah huffed, clearly annoyed. "You're putting an awful lot at stake here, Nik."

"Then so be it." He said in a final tone.

I figured that it was time that I made my presence known, and I pretended to noisily stumble into the room, giving them a fair warning to wrap up their conversation.

"Oh, look who it is. Our little intruder." Rebekah sneered when she laid eyes on me.

"Be nice, Bekah." Klaus cautioned, directing a glare at his sister before turning his attention to me.

"Am I interrupting something?" I asked, going for innocence. "I'm sorry…"

"No need to apologize, sweetheart." He cut me off while his sister made a face at the both of us. "Did you sleep well?" He continued, smirking knowingly at me.

"Yes… Thanks for letting me borrow your bed." I sheepishly answered, my cheeks warming up.

He walked up to me, giving me a soft peck on the lips.

"You're most welcome." He said, gently tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Disgusting." Rebekah spat, heading for the exit, eager to make her escape.

Klaus stopped her, rolling his eyes. "Hold on, little sister. Remember what we talked about earlier… Call Kol and Elijah, we must inform them that we're all walking targets if the Salvatores get their hands on even the tiniest piece of white oak."

"Yes, I'm on it. Everything's better than being in one room with you two." She retorted as she stalked out of the room, her ridiculously high heels clicking against the marble floor.

I scrunched my eyebrows together as I watched her leave. "You're not telling Finn?"

"Telling Finn would be suicide, love. I have no doubts that he's still keeping in touch with my mother. We don't want to give them any ideas." He reminded me, his blue eyes earnest.

"Oh, right…" I muttered, randomly thinking that it had to be a horrible thing when even your own family was set on killing you. Regardless of everything that had happened in the past; At the present time, it just didn't seem right. "So what are you going to do now? Did Rebekah find anything useful before she got interrupted?"

He grimaced, taking my hand in his, pulling me along to the couch. "No, she didn't. Damon's timing was rather unfortunate."

Hearing Damon's name made me recall his existence, and I squinted my eyes at Klaus as we sat down. "How is Damon?"

"I wouldn't know, we're not that close. I reckon he is taking a shower, putting on some clean clothes…" Klaus responded airily. "Whatever he's doing, I can guarantee you that he won't be bothering anyone for the rest of the day…"

His words were indicating that Damon hadn't gone from undead to dead, and that was enough for me, so I held up my hand. "Alright, I don't need any more details."

His lopsided grin was void of any guilt. "As you wish."

"You're unbelievable, Nik." I accused tepidly.

"Might as well have a little fun with him before he tries to drive a stake through my chest." He joked dismissively.

Even with the whole indifferent-act, I didn't miss the real hint of concern in his eyes, and I tried to offer some comfort. "If there's anything I can do to help…"

"At the moment, there isn't much that we can do, love. Rebekah and I will have to watch our backs, and I trust that Elijah and Kol will do the same... I'm afraid that the rest is out of our hands for now. I guess we're simply waiting for all hell to break loose." He answered gloomily.

"Yes, let's all wait for the war to start." I groaned. "It's all we ever do... Fighting for ourselves, fighting for others… I'm so tired of it, Nik."

He gave me a thoughtful look, his jaw tensing. "What do you want me to say to that, Caroline? I want nothing more than for you to be happy, but rest assured, if the Salvatores and their little gang try to mess with me, things will get bloody."

"Then don't…" I whispered, pleadingly gazing into his ancient eyes. "Why does it always have to be war? Why is everyone so opposed to the possibility of a truce? I'm seeing it from both sides, and all I know is that we all have so much to lose…"

"You just want me to call it even and walk away from this?" He asked incredulously. "You think I'm going to make some sort of pact with the Salvatores, and then wait for them to stab me in the back?"

"Trust, Nik. We've been over this." I said stubbornly, not backing down right away. "I mean… Remember what you promised me, that night when we talked at the ball, when you showed me your drawings…"

"I'm sorry?" He probed, confused by the sudden change of subject.

"Paris, Rome, Tokyo… We could go there… We could go anywhere, leave this mess behind." I proposed desperately.

He sighed as he recalled our conversation about seeing the world, running a hand through his messy hair. "Even if I wanted to, this is not something I can run from, sweetheart. I can fend for myself, but I'm still linked to my siblings, and with my mother still out there... It would take a very powerful witch to undo what she did, and as it is I'm short on witches."

"But you would consider it?" I asked hopefully.

"That depends. Would you object to bringing along Elena Gilbert?" He mocked. There was the slightest flicker of humor in his eyes, but I could tell that he wasn't kidding.

I threw my hands up in the air. "You're never going to let that go, are you?" I stated rather than asked, narrowing my eyes.

"You know why I need her. I believe we've had this discussion before." He said curtly.

"Yes, we did… But you know, Damon was right about one thing…" I mused.

"And what would that be?" Klaus' voice was skeptical.

"It is time to make choices. You don't really need your hybrids, Nik. You don't have to be alone, you have me. And you have your family. Rebekah and I may not be best friends, but even I can see that she will always stick with you. No offence, but you've let her down so many times, and yet she's still here." I solemnly hoped that my words gave him something to think about.

He was quiet, his face impenetrable. I smiled wistfully as I got up from the couch, seeing as an idea had just hit me.

"You're leaving?" He asked.

"Yes… You need a witch, and I happen to know a witch. I'm going to talk to Bonnie." I clarified.

Klaus frowned, eyebrows arching. "The Bennett witch? Believe me, she has crossed my mind, but she would never help me... Not unless I used methods on her that you would most definitely not approve of."

"I know. But she's my best friend… I have to try something. Anything." I countered.

A cynical frown was still apparent on his handsome face. "What makes you think she would even consider undoing the spell that linked us together?"

"Because… She's also one of the ones who has already lost so much, Nik. One of the ones who still has so much left to lose." I offered my explanation. "Plus, if something happens to you I will never forgive myself if I didn't try everything within my power to stop it from happening." I added before I turned to leave the room.

"Caroline, wait..." His alluring voice was a siren call, and immediately my feet stopped moving.

I looked back at him over my shoulder. "Yes?"

"Nothing. Just be safe, please." He muttered, glancing up at me with those mind-blowing blue eyes.

At that, all I could do was move my ass right back to where he was standing, pressing my lips against his in a passionate kiss. One of his strong hands supported the back of my neck as he kissed me back with a certain urgency. His lips were soft and irresistible as ever, and I had a hard time breaking the kiss, but I did.

I had to go and see Bonnie to find out if there was any chance that she would support my idea to call a truce. Of course, Klaus would have to make some sacrifices of his own… He would have to give up on Elena's blood, otherwise Stefan and Damon were never going to agree to any kind of deal. Regardless, it wouldn't hurt to talk to Bonnie to see where she was standing, just in case I would ever be able to convince him that peace was not such a horrible option.

I dropped one last kiss on his cheek, smiling warily. "I'm off to Bonnie's. You be safe, too. I'll see you later..."


	26. Enough For Always

While driving to Bonnie's house, I was already mentally preparing the conversation that I was going to have with her. And I had accused Klaus of being a control freak… Now what would that make me? What I didn't know when I arrived at the Bennett house, was that I would soon find out that the effort of making up a conversation in my mind had been wasted. A massive change of plans was in order the instant she opened her door to let me in, for my best friend was close to crying. Even though she was trying to hide her sorrow, I saw right through her.

"Bonnie… What's going on?" I asked softly.

"Nothing, I'm fine." She tried, crossing her arms in front of her chest and hunching her shoulders. "How about you? Why weren't you in school today?"

I sighed as I stepped inside, not waiting for her to ask me in. "Don't try to change the subject. You're bad at lying… It takes a lousy liar to know one, trust me."

She spun around to face me, her lower lip trembling. "Fine then… It's Abby." She admitted after a long moment, voice frail. "Jamie called this morning, and he told me that she packed her things and took off."

"Oh no, she didn't…" I whispered. "Bonnie I'm so sorry."

She shrugged, waving away my sympathy. She was acting tough, keeping her chin up the way she always did.

"It's fine… I can handle it. She never was around to begin with. I've managed to do just fine without her for the past sixteen years, so it's nothing really."

She stalked past me without saying another word, and after closing the door behind me I followed her into the kitchen, where she started to make coffee.

"Did Jamie tell you why she ran?" I questioned, still a bit shocked.

"No. She only left a note to tell him goodbye, and to tell him that he had to take care of himself. I suppose she couldn't deal with the fact that she's a vampire now. Or maybe she couldn't deal with the fact that her long lost daughter is a witch who hangs out with vampires." Bonnie muttered bitterly as she took two mugs from the cabinet over the sink. She was being brave, but I could hear that she was truly hurt.

"I don't know what to say…" I quietly said, sitting down at the small kitchen table.

Bonnie joined me, placing the mugs in front of us. "Like I said, it's fine. I can't even really blame her… I had to go and drag her into my messed up world, and several days later Damon turns her into something she absolutely despises."

"It's not your fault, if that's what you're trying to say. It just happened… Besides, we've done everything we possibly could to help her get through her transition." I comforted her.

I gave her a sympathetic look as I picked up my coffee.

"You know what, maybe you're right." She answered tiredly. "Who's to say whose fault it is? When living in a town like this, everyone is to blame for something. A clear conscience is not a very common trait amongst the citizens of Mystic Falls."

I had nothing to say to that, because her words couldn't be more spot on. There were no holy people in this town, and like me, she could see the bigger picture. Which was exactly the reason why I'd come to talk to her to begin with. I stared down at my coffee, my eyes straying to the bracelet that hadn't left my wrist since the night when I'd first put it on, after Klaus has given it to me for the second time.

Almost as if Bonnie had read my thoughts, she put an end to the silence. "Enough about my problems, I trust you didn't come here to hear about my runaway mom."

I shyly looked up at her, my fingers nervously tracing the outlines of my mug. "Actually, there's something I need to ask you. I… I'm sure you've heard about…" I faded out, not knowing how to proceed.

Bonnie smiled wryly. "Yes, Elena told me about you and… Klaus." She hesitated to speak his name, as if saying it out loud would unlock some sort of curse.

I pushed away the mug, my hands limply falling to the wooden table. I was staring at my painted fingernails, purposely not looking her in the eye. "Look, I'm going to tell it like it is… I know that this relationship between me and him probably makes no sense at all to you. It doesn't make sense to anyone, not even me… But I love him, Bonnie. For weeks I've been trying to fight it, but I can't deny my feelings for him any longer. He needs me, and as crazy as it sounds, I sincerely believe that I need him."

Her reaction surprised me, and not in an unpleasant way. "I know."

I dared to look up at her as she mouthed those two words. "You do?"

Bonnie took a sip from her coffee before she answered me. "I don't doubt that your feelings for him are real. Why else would you go through all this trouble and put yourself in this impossible position?"

At least that explained why she was still treating me in a normal way, even though she knew that I had chosen to be with the villain instead of the hero. In all honesty, I had been worried about how she was going to react when first seeing me after she had heard the news, but the way she acted towards me hadn't changed.

"My feelings for him are frighteningly real. More real than anything I've ever felt for anyone." I confessed, unconsciously playing with the bracelet. "I would never have left Tyler if I hadn't been one hundred percent sure about that."

"And what about him? Are you sure that he cares as much for you as you care for him?" She surveyed.

"Yes… I can't look inside his head, but I'm fairly sure he does." I told her truthfully. "Actually, that is why I came to see you… I don't want to lose him, Bonnie. I can't."

"Okay… Then what it is that you want me to do?" She asked cautiously.

"Well... You know that Esther linked him and his siblings together. If one dies, they all die, which is a huge problem because his brother Finn is still more than willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good. Not to mention, if Damon gets his hands on a piece of white oak... But if you could undo the spell… If you could set him free… I might be able to convince him to leave this town behind and start over. With me." I pleaded my case. "If I could just get him to go with me… If I could make him see that the only way for us to be together is by leaving this place..." By now I was rambling.

"Wait… You're asking me to help him get rid of his one handicap by undoing that spell?" She slowly summarized, skeptically raising an eyebrow at me. "I understand that you care about him, but this is Klaus we're talking about, Caroline."

"I know… But this isn't just about him… Or me. Think about it, Bonnie! It's either this or starting yet another war. A war that will most likely ensure that we all lose. Whether it is something or someone." I defined firmly. "How many failed attempts to kill Klaus have there been? And yes, maybe Stefan and Damon will succeed this time, but at what cost? How many people will have to die before this finally comes to an end? Wouldn't it be better if we called a truce so that we can all move on with our lives?"

Bonnie's heavy sigh wasn't very promising. "You know, in theory, it sounds like a plausible idea… But we can't be sure that Klaus will truly be able to leave all of this behind… He's unpredictable, and even if he vows to never show his face again, there are no guarantees that we are safe. How do we know that he can let go of Elena? Or let go of her blood, to be more exact."

"We don't…" I reluctantly admitted. "To be honest, I'm still trying to convince him that it's alright to let go. I've told him countless times that he doesn't need to make more hybrids, because he doesn't have to be alone anymore. But he's been on his own for centuries, and it's going to take time. I guess all I wanted was to hear your opinion on the matter, in case he does come around."

There was an earsplitting silence. Bonnie's face was smooth but calculating as we gazed at each other, unspeaking. When the silence was broken, she was the one to talk first.

"How about you? Would you be willing to do that for him? I mean, to leave everything behind? Your hometown, your mother, your friends…" She listed.

I had no difficulties looking straight into her eyes and telling her the unreserved truth. "Yes… Yes I would. I believe that he could make me happy... And I would leave knowing that the people I care about are no longer in any serious danger."

There was no time for me to analyze Bonnie's facial expression as she processed my answer, because the sound of my cellphone startled the both of us. I searched the pocket of my jacket, and was met by his name on the screen. The feeling of butterflies bouncing around in my stomach just because he was calling me, wasn't as foreign as it used to be.

"It's him, isn't it?" Bonnie concluded, my traitorous face giving me away.

I rolled my eyes. "The one and only."

A week ago, I would've declined his call when in the presence of any of my friends, but now that the cat was out of the bag, I saw no reason to ignore him.

"Yes?" I picked up.

"Are you still with your friend?" He instantly verified when hearing my voice, skipping the chitchat.

"Yes, I'm at Bonnie's. Why?" I asked suspiciously.

"Nothing, I just wanted to know if you were alright." His low voice seemed to be drenched in relief.

"I've been gone for one hour, Nik. How much trouble could I possibly have gotten myself into?" I made a funny face at Bonnie as I mocked him.

She seemed to be nothing short of astonished, face vacant and lips slightly parted as she listened to our chat on the phone.

"Yes, I get it. Don't say a word, love. I'm an overprotective… What did you call it again? Ah yes, control-freak. It's just that Damon Salvatore can be rather persistent, and after my little confrontation with him this morning, and with him still being under the impression that he has some unfinished business with you…" He didn't finish his sentence. "I shouldn't have called, you can take care of yourself." He uttered instead.

"Yes, I can. But I appreciate your concern." I said, annoyance making place for amusement. "I'll stop by later."

"Right…" He said curtly.

"Goodbye, Nik. Try not to tear out your hair until I get back." I grinned at the phone as I hung up.

Making fun of him was so much easier when he wasn't standing right in front of me, staring me down with those bottomless blue eyes. I glimpsed at Bonnie as I put away the phone, still undecided as to whether this was embarrassing or not.

The snort that I was unable to contain merely contributed to the awkwardness. "Okay, that was weird. Sorry."

Bonnie's face was no longer immobile as I apologized, and she cocked her head to the side, forcing herself to smile. "The guy cares, alright." She dryly stated.

"He does." I confirmed. "And trust me, I get that him caring for me doesn't erase all the horrible stuff he has done in the past… But there is some humanity in there, and my guess is that it's mostly loneliness that is driving him to do all the inhuman things he does. All I'm asking you is to give it some thought."

"Fine, I will." Bonnie said, holding her hands up in surrender. "I'm not making any promises, though. There's Stefan, and Damon, and Elena. And let's not forget Esther and a handful of other Originals. So many aspects will have to be taken into account before I can even begin to consider reversing the spell."

I nodded, grasping that this was not going to be a piece of cake.

"I'm not even sure if I'm strong enough to do it." She frowned as she threw another potential complication on top of the already huge pile.

"I know that there's a lot to think about, but thank you." I said sincerely, grabbing her hand and giving it a light squeeze. "Thank you for at least hearing me out..."

-xxx-

I tiptoed into his study, assuming that I would find him there. This time I had used the door like a normal visitor would, and strangely enough, Rebekah had kept her pesky remarks to herself when letting me in.

He was nowhere to be found, and so I headed for the door that I knew led to his bedroom. I paused when my eyes were lured in by the sketches that were spread out on the mahogany desk to my left. One of the drawings was recent -made earlier today- seeing as it was showing me, sound asleep in his bed. I picked up the sheet of paper, shaking my head at how he had exaggerated all my flattering features, and diminished the less attractive ones. Was this really the way he saw me?

"Do you like that one, love?" I turned at the sound of his voice, and saw how he was casually leaning against the doorframe that connected his study to his bedroom.

It was obvious that he had been in the shower, since the only item of 'clothing' that he was wearing was the fluffy white towel that was wrapped around his waist.

"Are you trying to seduce me?" I accused mockingly, unashamedly ogling him, my eyes traveling up and down his nicely shaped figure.

He tilted his head, smirking. "Hardly. I remember you telling me that you're too smart to be seduced by me, so I sort of gave up on that, sweetheart."

"Yes, well… That was before I'd seen you naked." I joked, enjoying the playful mood that he currently seemed to be in.

I walked up to him, gently placing my hands on his bare chest and appreciatively inhaling the freshly showered scent that he radiated. He put his hands over mine, his fingers locking around mine as he leaned in to give me a swift, delicate kiss.

"Do you want to tell me about your exchange with Bonnie Bennett?" He asked, pulling back a little so that he could make eye contact, but otherwise not compromising our close proximity.

I shrugged as I contemplated what I was going to tell him. "It was an interesting talk… She's a great friend, and she was open-minded about… About you and me. Also, she didn't completely rule out the possibility of her undoing the spell…"

"But?" He pressed, not unaware of my hesitation.

"No buts… It all depends on you, Nik. You know that." I sighed, my fingers restlessly playing with his where he was still holding our hands against his chest. "In order to make any kind of treaty, you will have to decide what you're willing to sacrifice, and what you're willing to throw into the bargain. Of course there's also the Salvatores to keep in mind, but Bonnie knows just as well as anyone that their past isn't spotless as well. She knows how blurry the line between good and evil can become sometimes..."

"Regardless, she would help them rather than she would help me. And with good reason." Klaus pointed out.

I shook my head. "You don't get it, she's not picking anyone's side. If Bonnie decides to help out, it would be to keep her friends and family safe… Her mother, Jamie, Elena, Jeremy, Matt… Me. She would go along with this deal if she knew that it would end this never-ending battle and bring some peace to this godforsaken town. And let's not forget that her relationship with Stefan and Damon is somewhat rocky at the moment."

"Is it?" He asked, brow furrowed.

"Yes, I doubt if Bonnie is ever going to forgive Damon. She's barely speaking to him ever since he turned her mother into a vampire." I reminded him.

He nodded slowly. "I see."

"Long story short; If we want to negotiate, all of us will have to make choices, Nik." I established.

My fingers were still mindlessly fumbling with his as we stood in silence for a few seconds. My eyes were bound to his, like they usually were whenever we were together.

"So that's it then…" He eventually muttered, eyes darkening ever so subtly. "It's either giving up the doppelganger's blood, or I'm doomed for the rest of eternity, linked to my foolish brother who is so determined to die. I guess I've come full circle… This is likely to end in me taking care of this by myself. You know what they say, if you want something done right…"

"I wouldn't say all by yourself..." I corrected. "No matter what you decide, you will still have your other siblings. And you'll still have me. And maybe someday you'll realize that I am enough for always, so that you will be able to let go of Elena's blood." I kept my tone neutral, letting him know that I was merely stating the facts; Not judging him, nor accusing him of not caring enough for me.

His eyes turned lighter again, and he gazed at me in awe. "Your patience with me is utterly heartwarming, love."

I smiled at his compliment, for once not laughing it away. "I'm trying. Just think about what I said, alright? Try to keep in mind that there is an alternative."

My hands moved up to wrap themselves around his neck, and I stood on my tiptoes to kiss him in a way that was a lot less innocent than the way he had kissed me at the beginning of our little talk.

"I will." He murmured against my lips.

"Good." I said, only breaking free so I could speak, before quickly reuniting our lips again.

I moaned softly, closing my eyes when his sweet breath invaded my mouth. My lips instinctively started moving with his, and his hands were roaming my back as my tongue traced his lower lip. He was eager to deepen the kiss, and I sighed with pleasure.

I pulled away once more to tie some loose ends. "We can finish this discussion later, right? As it is I have something much more important on my to-do list..."

"Oh yes, love. We certainly can…"

His smug smile was all it took for me to attack him again. As far as I was concerned, we'd done more than enough talking for now, and I had my mind set on moving on to other activities…


	27. Leverage

His large hand was holding my much smaller one over his heart as we were lying in his bed, both of us attempting to catch our breath. I absentmindedly stared at our hands, feeling nothing but unadulterated bliss. He sure had his ways to effectively ban every single disturbing thought from my mind, if only temporarily. Alas, all good things were bound to come to an end at some point.

"I should go home, Nik." I said somberly.

"Not necessarily. You're more than welcome to stay the night." He disagreed lightly, kissing the top of my head.

As tempting an offer as that was, I knew that I had to do the right thing. I had to come to terms with my mother.

"I know, and I would love to… It's just that my talk with Bonnie made me realize that I can't keep avoiding my mom forever. I know that you and I are hardly on the same page when it comes to the subject of parents, but no matter what, she's still my mother." I admitted quietly. "I have to talk to her. Maybe I can make her understand, so that she can at least accept the fact that I have feelings for you."

"I suppose that's up to you, love. All I can do is hope that you won't be disappointed. You can't really blame her for not encouraging this." He let go of my hand, releasing me.

"Perhaps I can't, but I owe it to myself to try. Besides, it's not like I'm asking her to embrace you with open arms and invite you over for tea. If she could just act normal about it, that would be good enough for me." I forced myself to get up, unwillingly leaving the safety and warmth of his arms.

"Will I see you again soon, sweetheart?" He asked, smiling longingly at me as I slid out of his bed and began to search his room for my jeans and shirt.

I grinned back at him as I picked up my clothes from the bedroom floor. "I trust you will, Mr. Mikaelson. It's not like I can stay away from you for longer than twenty-four hours anyway."

His blue eyes were shining as I owned up to my addiction to him. "Good. I'll start counting the minutes then…"

-xxx-

It was with great aversion that I entered my house, soundlessly closing the front door behind me. It was nearly half past ten, and the car in the driveway had indicated that my mother was indeed home. Sounds coming from the television in the living room drifted to my ears. She was still awake. I took a deep breath; It was now or never. I wanted to punch myself in the head as it occurred to me that, these days, talking to my own mother was more unnerving to me than talking to a certain Original Hybrid. Irony, anyone?

She didn't look up as I snuck into the room. She was engrossed in some quiz, eyes glued to the TV, loudly mouthing the right answers to the contestants whenever they failed to give them.

"Hi, mom…" I greeted her, making her aware of my presence.

One quick motion made her head swing around, and there was a small gasp as she spotted me. "Caroline! Honey, you scared me."

"I didn't mean to…" I apologetically mumbled.

My mom held up a hand to silence me, her voice unsteady but thoroughly relieved. "It's alright. I'm glad you came home..."

That was the last response that I had expected from her. I was prepared for another round of accusations, or maybe even the silent treatment. But she subjected me to neither, and so I tentatively sat down on the couch with her.

"I'm sorry… Sorry for avoiding you, and for running away from this." I offered, feeling a bit ashamed.

She shook her head. "It's okay… I shouldn't have yelled at you like that. I've been your age, Caroline, I should've given it some thought before reacting the way I did."

I blinked, stunned.

She sighed. "I've had plenty of time to think, sweety. Actually, all of this reminded me of a time when I was only a few years older than you are now..."

"What do you mean?" I inquired curiously.

"Let me put it like this… Bill Forbes was not the man that my parents wanted to see me with. As far as they were concerned, he was no good, and certainly not good enough for their daughter. Of course your situation is very different from the one that I was in… Granted, your father was the proud owner of a few nasty characteristics, but he was nothing like…" She fell silent.

I mockingly rolled my eyes at her hesitation. "It's not a crime to say his name, mom. You've seen way too many scary movies… He won't mysteriously pop up out of nowhere and bite you whenever you mention him."

"He won't, huh?" There was some humor in her wary grey eyes now, and an uneasy laugh left her mouth.

"As a matter of fact, he won't harm you, period." I informed her dryly.

"You seem so sure of yourself... So sure of him." Her attempt to hide her skepticism was unsuccessful.

That didn't faze me; My reply was simple but true. "He knows that it would kill me if anything happened to you. You see that's the thing with Klaus… If he wants you dead, you won't stand a chance. On the other hand, if he wants you safe…" I trailed off suggestively.

My mom's defeated sigh told me that she was running out of arguments. "And you believe that your wellbeing has become one of his main priorities." It was not a question.

"Yes, I do. For some unfathomable reason he sees me as the best thing that has ever happened to him, and I know that he will go through great lengths to protect me." I wanted her to know that him hurting me was one problem that she wouldn't have to worry about.

She didn't reply right away. She was soundlessly appraising me, eyes full of distress, her face covered in anxiety.

"I'm not asking you to like him, mom. Or even interact with him. I know who he is, and I know what he's capable of… But I don't want to feel guilty anymore, and that's impossible because you keep looking at me like I'm a convict." I elaborated. "All I want is for you and me to... To be cool."

She smiled half a smile at my use of the word 'cool', but then she reached out to me, pulling me in for a hug. "Oh sweety… We are cool. I love you, no matter the choices you make, you have to know that."

"I love you too, mom." My whisper was muffled against her shoulder as she held me tightly.

"In the past year, I've learned to trust your judgment, Caroline... But this is an exceptional case, and as your mother I can't help but have this natural instinct to try and keep you from making mistakes." She explained herself as she let go of me.

"And maybe you're right. Perhaps this turns out to be the biggest mistake I ever made." I partly agreed. "But surely you can see why I need to give him a chance, don't you?"

Her brow creased, her dismay still present. "Do I?"

"I think you do. It's the same reason you gave dad a chance… The reason that you could see past his less appealing features..."

"Are you seriously comparing that man to your father?" She couldn't completely keep her disgust from me.

"No. I know that they are nothing alike, but the circumstances are comparable. You used to love dad, never mind that your parents were less than cooperative. And I love him." I carefully elucidated.

"And there's not the tiniest doubt in your mind when it comes to him returning those feelings…" Again she wasn't asking.

I regarded her unflinchingly. "Yes. He truly does, mom. If there's one thing in my chaotic, inconsistent life that I'm sure of, it's that he loves me. Albeit in his own twisted way, he cares for me."

There was one of those uncomfortable silences as she handed out one of her you-may-not-know-it-yet-but-I-know-what's-best-for-you looks.

"Seriously, mom." I muttered when I couldn't take it anymore.

"Alright, fine!" She grumbled. "Try! Try to make it work, if you're so determined to give it a shot."

"Really? You will keep your reprimanding speeches to yourself and let me figure this one out on my own?" I asked hopefully.

She scowled at me. "That sure is a nice way of putting things… But yes, unless he gives me a legitimate reason to interfere, I promise to back off."

I beamed at her, seeing as this was already more than I could've asked for after rudely shutting her out for several days. "Thank you. That means the world to me." I breathed in relief. This time it was me pulling her in for a well-deserved hug.

"Anytime, honey." She answered, not too enthusiastic, but definitely sincere.

"Thanks for trusting me." I said, sitting back and smiling at her.

"I'll have you know one thing, though..." She said darkly.

"What's that, mom?"

"If Klaus hurts one single hair on your head, I will take him down. Invincibility be damned…"

-xxx-

Highly motivated thanks to the talk with my mother that had played out rather well, I had gathered the courage to indulge in another conversation that I knew I couldn't put off any longer. After my mom had gone to bed, I had contacted the Salvatore brother that I hoped could be reasoned with, as opposed to his douchebag of a brother.

When I had texted Stefan, his reply had been instant. He had agreed to meet me at the edge of the forest; The place where we usually took off on our hunting trips. I was so not going over to the Salvatore house and risk running into Damon.

And so I was currently strolling the woods, aimlessly shuffling between the trees as I waited for Stefan. The light drizzle was gradually soaking my hair and clothes as I glimpsed around. Aside from trees and more trees, I could see the old house that was supposed to be haunted by the spirits of at least a hundred dead witches. A shiver ran down my spine at the thought.

"Caroline?"

I flinched when Stefan's voice called out my name; The eerie surroundings were clearly making me edgy.

"Hey." I greeted him, turning around and coming face to face with him. "Sorry, I'm a bit jumpy tonight."

He chuckled, amused at my antsy mood. "So I noticed."

"I don't know what's with me, I guess I feel like those witches are watching us." I defended myself, rolling my eyes at my friend.

"Then I take it you don't want to go inside?" He asked, cocking his head to the side, hinting at the rain.

"I suppose it's safe to hide in the porch until it stops raining." I complied, wrinkling my nose.

We escaped the rain, running up the porch steps. I prudently leaned against the weathered front door, not planning to actually enter the spooky residence. Stefan did the same, and he watched me expectantly.

"So… I assume that there's a specific reason you wanted to talk to me?" Stefan urged, his heavy brow creasing.

"No kidding, what gave me away?" I responded sarcastically, cracking a smile.

Stefan laughed. "Not that I don't enjoy hanging out with you, but at two in the morning? In this weather? It makes me think that you had an ulterior motive calling this meeting."

"Yes well, you can already guess what's coming, can't you?" I began, knowing that Stefan wasn't stupid.

"Let me think." He feigned a thoughtful grimace. "Wait, don't say anything, I'll think of something."

"You're making fun of me! Some friend you are!" I grumpily complained.

"Do I get three guesses?" He ignored my complaints as he continued to tease me. "Because my gut feeling tells me that it has something to do with the Original hybrid we all love to hate."

"Enough!" I huffed, unimpressively smacking his upper arm. "Yes, it's about him! And I'm positive that Damon has already shared all the scoop on my relationship with Nik, so can we please skip that."

Stefan held up his hands, trying to stay serious this time. "Okay, I'm sorry, Caroline. But honestly, this is going to take some getting used to."

I groaned. "Yes, I get that! I've been told by a billion people, give or take."

The rain was getting heavier, and a loud crash of thunder made me wince. I pressed myself closer to the old, worn out door, which was difficult, since my body was already flush against the wood. To my delight Stefan also cringed infinitesimally, and I snickered.

He glared at me, half smiling. "What? That was a perfectly natural reaction to a sudden loud noise."

"Whatever you say." I said in a singsong voice.

He brought an end to our bantering, instead broaching the subject that I was reluctant to discuss, even when talking about it was essential.

"So, what about Klaus, huh?" He prompted.

At times like these, I was reminded why being friends with Stefan was so effortless. Opening up to him was easy as breathing, and so I told him everything. How I had tried to convince Klaus that there were other ways than always fighting fire with fire. How I had tried to get Bonnie on Team Truce. And most importantly; How I couldn't stand the thought of losing the man that I loved.

Stefan never interrupted me, nor did he show any signs that he found my story ridiculous.

"So, I guess that's it… I know that Damon will probably never agree to whatever kind of deal, but I felt like I had to give it a try. I get that you have no intentions of going up against your brother on my behalf, and I'm not asking you to. But maybe, if you see an opening to talk to him about it… That is to say if Nik will ever agree to letting go of Elena's blood…" I finished quietly.

There was a flash of lightning as Stefan's eyes explored my face.

"You're thinking that I've lost my mind." I muttered, blood rushing to my cheeks.

He sighed, shrugging away from the wood that covered the front of the abandoned house. "That's not what I'm thinking, Caroline. I just think that it's remarkable that you made him care… Because from where I'm standing, I can tell that he does care."

"You're not going to warn me about how he is tricking me?" I questioned, surprised.

"No." Stefan replied shortly before clarifying himself. "Do you remember that night at the Grill? We were celebrating Tyler's return, and Klaus was there…"

"Yes, I remember." I said, thinking back to that awful evening.

"The way he looked at you… I don't think something like that can be faked." He mused.

Another flash of lightning made the place light up, bathing both the house and Stefan's face in a ghostly glow.

"I don't want him to die, Stefan." I whispered, my voice trembling all of the sudden. "Despite all the cruel things he's done, despite the pain he's inflicted on others… I love him…"

Stefan stepped away from the wall, walking to the edge of the porch and gazing into the rain. His eyes were troubled. "You have gotten yourself into one hell of a mess here, you know that right?" He said broodingly.

I chortled hysterically as I followed his example, staring into the night. "You think?"

His ever-present frown intensified. "You know, as much as I want to help you, it's still Klaus that we're talking about. Surely you can see that there isn't some simple solution that I can pull out of the hat…"

"I'm aware." I muttered.

More silence, only the sound of the rain as it kept violently falling from the sky. As if the haunted house wasn't already enough to give a person the creeps, the atmosphere shifted all of the sudden. And not for the better...

I felt her presence, even before my eyes caught sight of her. Stefan must've felt the same, for his head shot in the same direction as mine. Near the house, where the front yard ended, there was an old well consisting of weatherworn grey bricks. And standing right next to it, was the Original witch. His mother.

"Esther…" I shivered as her name fell from Stefan's lips.

She took a few graceful strides towards us, her emotionless face making her all the more frightening.

"Stefan Salvatore, we meet again." She acknowledged that she had heard him. "But it is not you I am looking for."

Her eyes flickered to me, and I automatically cowered into Stefan's side.

"Caroline Forbes is it not?" She asked, not awaiting my answer.

I swallowed loudly, and Stefan gave her a confused look, his hand loosely grabbing my arm.

She almost smiled when she spoke again. Almost, but not quite. "The girl that my son Niklaus is so taken with… The perfect leverage."

My stomach turned, and I noticed how Stefan froze beside me, his fingers locking around my wrist. Leverage? This was bad. Really bad. Did I mention bad?


	28. What Matters The Most

Her stare made my blood turn into ice. That awkward moment when you realized that your potential mother-in-law was a bitter old hag who planned to use you as a tool for one of her sinister plans, the final outcome probably being that she killed her own son.

I shortly glanced at Stefan, who was looking everything but comfortable. I turned back to Esther, throwing the witch a look that was panicked yet slightly angry. Because honestly, who did this despicable woman think she was? Claiming that she wanted to set things right, pretending that she was doing all of this to restore the balance of nature. To undo the evil that she had created. This woman had to be the biggest hypocrite to ever walk the face of earth. After all, who was it turning her children into vampires in the first place? Who was it sleeping with another man, and giving birth to a son whom she could never genuinely love because he reminded her of the mistake that she herself had made?

If anyone deserved an award for most-rotten-mother-of-the-century, it had to be the Original witch.

"Why… Why would you need me as leverage?" I asked once I could form a coherent sentence.

"That is none of your concern. Come with me, Caroline." She summoned, her tone a tad too calm.

I raised my eyebrows at her, still glaring, but not moving an inch. "Not a chance." I snapped; The adrenaline made that I sounded a lot braver than I felt.

"I won't allow you to take her." Stefan backed me up, matching Esther's collected tone and threateningly taking a step forward.

She laughed coldly. "Don't be a fool. She will come with me, one way or another."

She took a few more strides in our direction, which made that she was only several feet away now. A low rumbling sound erupted from Stefan's throat, the veins beneath his eyes turning darker. I put my hand on his arm, holding him back by giving him a meaningful look. If he attacked her, she was never going to spare him.

"Please, don't, Stefan. Let me try…" I whispered at him.

"I'm afraid that this is your last chance, Caroline. Come with me, and I promise that I will not harm you. If my son cooperates, that is…" Esther called, beckoning for me to come to her.

"Sorry, but no deal. You see, it's not me I'm worried about." My scowl didn't fade as I rejected her inferior offer.

She shook her head at me, and the stare she gave me indicated that she thought that I belonged in an asylum. "You're an intelligent young lady, Caroline. I trust that you can see that this is for the best..."

"Then I guess that means that I'm not as clever as you give me credit for, because I fail to see how you killing the man that I love is in my best interest. Or his." Was my blunt reply.

"Don't let his charms deceive you, you silly girl." She hissed impatiently. "Niklaus is not capable of love."

I couldn't refrain from smiling smugly, since I easily detected her lie. "Now that's one thing I don't believe. And I'm willing to bet that you don't believe that either."

"I know my son, I've observed him for centuries." She sharply returned, lifting her chin, her eyes piercing right into mine.

"That may be so... But you see, if you were truly convinced that your son doesn't love me, you wouldn't be here. In fact, what would be the point in using me to get to him, if you are so sure that he doesn't care for me?" I answered confidently, defying her penetrating stare.

As my words were sinking in, her eyes reflected nothing but fury. Caroline: 1 – Esther: 0. Take that, you old shrew!

"But you see, that's the problem, isn't it? He doesn't know how to love because no one has ever properly taught him how it's done! How can you expect him to understand anything about love, when the only example he's had is you! As far as I can see, he ended up filled with hatred and rage because you didn't love him enough!" I had no idea where all of this was coming from, or why I was even defending him to this deranged woman, but a voice in the back of my head told me that I had to.

"Enough!" She spat, aggravated, seeing as an eighteen year old blonde was criticizing her.

I didn't regret it one bit though. If she was determined to take me, she would do it anyway, and I felt so much better after getting this off of my chest.

She ascended the porch steps, and Stefan pulled himself free from my light grasp, growling as he was about to lunge at her.

"Leave her out of this." He cautioned.

She smiled stiffly. "Very well. Have it your way."

I gasped for breath as I watched Stefan fall to his knees, his hands pressed against his temples. She was doing that creepy thing that Bonnie often did to vampires with bad intentions when they happened to cross her path.

"Stop hurting him! Leave him alone!" I was all but shrieking at her.

My cried pleas didn't faze her; She acted like I wasn't even making a sound. "Come with me now, or I'll make you." She rudely commanded, her boney fingers clasping around my wrist.

"No!" I whimpered, instinctively defending myself by using all my strength to try and pull myself free, but finding that I was unable to move. I wasn't sure what she was doing to me, but suddenly all of my muscles were weakening.

Her blazing eyes were fixed on me, lips trembling as she murmured some kind of incantation that was clearly controlling my ability to fight her. She was too strong. She pulled me down the steps, dragging me along through the front yard. We reached the edge of the forest, and my last shred of hope of getting away from her had left me… And then something made her stop. All of the sudden she stood still, choking out a stifled scream. She let go of me, her hands flying to her throat. I unthinkingly distanced myself from her, unable to tear my eyes away as I perplexedly witnessed how she appeared to be suffocating due to some unseen force.

I shuddered as I scanned my surroundings, and then my eyes were drawn to a familiar figure. She was standing near the old well, mumbling a spell of her own as she regarded Esther with a certain determination.

"Bonnie!" I exclaimed, rushing to her side as Esther collapsed.

At the same time, Stefan got up from the floor, gaping at Bonnie as she gave the most powerful witch of them all a taste of her own medicine. What the hell was going on here? Esther glowered at Bonnie, her hands no longer holding her throat. Instead she fell to the dirty forest floor, sitting on her knees as she tried to breathe.

"You should leave my friends alone." Was all Bonnie said when she freed the Original witch from the impressive spell that she'd used on her.

Esther disbelievingly gazed up at her, panting heavily. "What do you think you're doing… You of all should know that it is not right to interfere with nature… And to side with vampires. You will not get away with this…" She rasped viciously.

I gulped, totally shocked as the evil witch crawled to her feet and fled into the forest, disappearing into the green maze of trees.

"Oh my god…" I uttered, my wide eyes resting on Bonnie. "Did you just out-witch the Original witch?"

Stefan joined us, his face displaying the very amazement that I was currently feeling. "How did you…" He started, gawking at Bonnie.

"Don't get too excited, that wasn't just me... I think I had some help." Bonnie revealed, nodding at the old house.

"Those witches are siding with you?" I asked, not getting it at all. It was no secret that witches were not too fond of vampires, and Bonnie had done this to save her vampire-friends.

"Yes, for some reason that is beyond me, they are. Actually, I woke up because I had a vision about everything that happened just now. That's why I came here, to put my own mind at ease… They wanted me here, otherwise I would've never gotten here in time." Bonnie's eyes darted to the deserted house as she spoke.

"That's plain weird." I said, also peeking at the old mansion. "Not that I'm not grateful."

"Don't mention it..." Bonnie smiled briefly. "But that's not all… A witch can channel another witch's energy… And I could feel that Esther's energy is fading. She's getting weaker with every moment that passes."

"That makes sense…" Stefan mused. "It would be unnatural for her to stay here permanently, let's not forget that she was brought back from the dead. If anything goes against nature, it's her resurrection."

"So… That means that she's running out of time…" I added thoughtfully.

"And getting desperate, because she didn't think this through at all." Bonnie completed our hypothesis. "Even if I hadn't been here in time to stop her from capturing you, I doubt if she ever could've killed Klaus, even with him willingly handing himself over to her. Although we can't tell for sure what her plan was…"

"Splendid. This isn't the last we've seen of her, that's for sure. She's not the type to give up." I groaned dejectedly. "I should go, I have to give Nik the heads up."

"Do you want me to take you, in case she's still out there somewhere?" Stefan offered.

"I don't think that's necessary, she didn't look too good when Bonnie was done with her." I grinned at my witchy friend as I said this. "Besides, it just occurred to me that there is a more pressing issue that needs to be addressed… You guys need to check on Elena."

"Elena?" Stefan's mouth twisted into an anguished line, the way it usually did whenever Elena's safety was brought up.

"What about her?" Bonnie asked, confused.

"Think about it! Esther's common sense must be slipping away along with her powers, because it was pretty stupid of her to choose me as her bargaining chip! It would've been a million times more effective if she had gone after the most important thing to him ever… The doppelganger." I explained hastily.

There was a silence as Stefan and Bonnie exchanged a peculiar look that they were unsuccessfully trying to hide from me.

"What?" I asked briskly, eyes swerving from one to the other.

Bonnie sighed. "Esther had to wait a thousand years to get her revenge, she wouldn't make a mistake like that. As much as I hate to admit this, it could be that Klaus' priorities have changed..."

A hollow laugh left my mouth. "Not likely. I mean, he cares for me, but Elena's blood will forever be his number one concern."

Stefan cleared his throat. "I wouldn't be too sure about that, Caroline… You know, Bonnie's right… Esther may be on the brink of losing it, but she did watch her son for nearly a thousand years… I think she has a fairly good idea as to what he considers the most important thing to him at this point of his life."

I threw up my hands, not feeling like taking this conversation any further. "You two are both nuts. I'm out of here… Nik needs to know that his wacky mother is back in town. And please do make sure that Esther didn't switch to plan B by going after Elena."

"Don't worry." Stefan assured. "I'm going over there right now."

"And we should all be careful." Bonnie said earnestly. "It's unlikely that Esther has already had enough time to recover, but let's not take any risks…"

-xxx-

In my hurry I didn't bother with using the front door, and I skipped the part where I rang the doorbell and waited for someone to answer like a polite person would have. My target was the backdoor, and when it wasn't locked I let myself in. I hesitated as I strolled the giant hallway, my hair and clothes dripping from the rain.

"Nik? Rebekah?" I called tentatively. "Anybody home?"

No response. I passed a lot of doors, but I didn't pay any attention to them, seeing as my first destination was the living room. I came to a stop when my phone beeped. A text from Stefan, telling me that Elena was fine. I swiftly texted him back, before resuming my search. When reaching the door that I was looking for, I saw that it wasn't entirely closed. My head was so full, my brain too preoccupied with the news that I had to break to him, and so I failed to make out the voices behind said door.

"Nik?" I called again, poking my head around the doorpost. "Nik, I think we have a… Problem…"

I lost my voice. My mouth refused to spill out any more words, and I held on to the door handle for support as I casted my eyes around the room. Klaus was there alright, but he was not alone. Near the fireplace I met the curious stares of his siblings, Elijah and Kol. And it didn't end there, because the three brothers were forming a circle around a fourth Original who was lying on the floor, a dagger plunged through his heart. His skin was a sickly tone of grey, black veins covering his arms and face. Finn. This was family business. Not something that you wanted to share with your chipper, blonde girlfriend.

"Oh god… Sorry. I can see that I'm interrupting something." I stuttered, staggering backwards.

There were four Mikaelsons in one room. Even with one of them passed out, that was a lot of Originals. Other than that, I could only imagine that Klaus didn't want me around for this… But to my astonishment, he acted like nothing special was going on.

"Don't be shy, sweetheart. Do come in." He smiled welcomingly, gesturing for me to come to him. "Our idiotic brother is grounded for now, nothing to worry about. We had to stop him before he gets himself -and therefore all of us- killed."

Despite his questionable effort to make me feel more at ease, my feet were glued to the doorstep. I now understood why Esther had needed leverage... She wanted to get back what her children had taken from her. Something she desperately needed. Someone who was willing to die at any given time when she came up with another one of her fatal spells. With her getting weaker, she would've never been able to take four uncooperative Originals down… But she knew that with a willing participant like Finn, she would still have a chance, seeing as the five of them were still linked.

"Ah, Caroline. The young woman who has managed to unfreeze my brother's undead hart. Pleasure seeing you here." Elijah's voice brought me back to reality. He nodded at me, his eyes not unfriendly, his tone casual.

"Elijah… Hello." I timidly returned his greeting, probably giving away that I found him more than a little intimidating.

Kol was less subtle about it, discourteously looking me up and down, his lips twisting into a smirk.

"Caroline, is it? I can see the appeal, brother. Tell me, would you mind sharing her?" His boyish grin was misleading, as was his youthful face; I knew that there was nothing innocent about Klaus' younger brother.

"Mind your tongue, Kol." Klaus growled at him.

Kol rolled his dark eyes, feigning irritation. "No need to get all territorial."

"Please ignore him, love. Kol's manners are rather… Nonexistent." Klaus said gruffly, his focus shifting back to me.

He was still holding his hand out to me, and by now I had mustered up the courage to comply. I slowly closed the gap between us, wisely keeping my eyes away from the daggered Original on the floor. As soon as I was within Klaus' reach, his hand wrapped around mine, his thumb soothingly rubbing the back of my hand.

"Now, tell me about that problem that you mentioned before you got… Distracted." He requested calmly.

Oh my, he was right. I had been distracted, very much so. For a good three minutes, I had forgotten all about the actual reason behind my visit. Unfortunately, the knot in my stomach reappeared in all heaviness when my run-in with his mother came back to mind.

Both Elijah and Kol were merely showing a remote interest, but that changed quickly enough when I formulated the problem in question.

"Your mother… She's here, Nik. She's here, and she tried to kidnap me!" I agitatedly enlightened them. "She may be less powerful now than she was a few weeks ago, but if Bonnie hadn't been there in time to save me…"

"Marvelous. She already knows." Elijah said matter-of-factly before Klaus even had a chance to bring in a word. "She's aware that we have Finn. She knows that she has lost the single small advantage that she had on us, and she must've thought that you would've been willing to make a trade." He slyly looked at Klaus.

Klaus' hand was nearly crushing mine, his eyes showing that alarming tone of yellow that occasionally came out to play when he was outrageously upset. "That was a grand mistake on her part." He barked. "I'm going after her."

"And get yourself killed? We can't be certain that she has nothing left up her sleeve." Elijah reasoned with his brother. "Don't let your emotions lead you, you never have."

"He's right, big brother. Don't get mad, get even." Kol said darkly. "How are we supposed to get back at her if you do something reckless and put your life in her hands?"

"I'm no planning to wait around for her to figure out how she can get rid of us! Someone needs to stop that old crone." He answered bleakly.

"Someone should… But they're right, you know… You should think this through before you do something rash." I instantly regretted speaking in this room packed with Originals, because my voice sounded feeble, even to me.

Nevertheless, I immediately had his attention. The way he looked at me, I might as well have yelled the words at him. Like my opinion was what truly counted. Never mind that inside, I was an average, insecure eighteen year old girl who was still clinging to her humanity. This was bizarre, and that would be a mild term to describe his behavior towards me. Yes, I had made a deal with him, but I didn't recall brainwashing him.

Elijah coughed an unnecessary cough. "First things first, we should store away Finn's body." He nodded at Kol, obviously detecting the rather intimate moment between me and Klaus.

Kol shrugged impassively but didn't object, and I watched warily as they carried Finn out of the living room with graceful ease.

"She tried to take you from me!" Klaus wasted no time picking up the argument when we were alone, but his tone had softened up. There was nothing left of the raging tone that he had used when addressing his siblings, and that was mere seconds ago.

"But she didn't." I replied firmly. "Besides, you're lucky that she didn't go after Elena instead. She could have… I don't know, killed her, or turned her into a vampire. There are only too many things she could've come up with to make her useless to you."

"Lucky?" He sputtered.

He was frowning at me, looking surprised and… Offended? His eyes were back to blue, flecks of yellow and orange evaporated. His hands were on my face in no time, and he trapped my head between them by gently placing them on my cheeks, making sure that I couldn't escape his gaze. He tenderly brushed a strand of wet hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear.

"I think that it is time that you and I have a very serious talk, love." He murmured, hypnotizing me by throwing in both his blue orbs and his mesmerizing vocal cords.

"About what?" I wondered, brow puckered.

"About what matters the most to me, sweetheart." His cool breath stunned me further, his whisper hanging in the air between us. "You told me that it was time for me to sort out my priorities, and I have..."


	29. Deleted Scene: Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short outtake from Klaus' POV.

Light. All I could see when looking at the exquisite young woman who was sound asleep in my bed, was the light that she radiated. Her light came naturally. Even now, when she wasn't conscious -her face smooth and her eyes closed, a small smile playing around her lips hinting that she was dreaming- her light reached out and touched everything within her vicinity. Everything, including me. And the same went for my black, distorted heart.

How surprised I had been to find her here when I'd gotten home after my conflict with the oldest Salvatore brother. She hadn't gone home, like I'd assumed she would. She came here, seeming perfectly at ease in my bed as she stirred lightly in her sleep, her eyelids fluttering. She sighed, mumbling something inaudible, the smile never leaving her delicate lips. Her smile, full of light. Like her cornflower blue eyes. Like the entrancing sound of her voice. Like the way in which she carried herself… Her light knew no bounds.

She had ridiculed me when I had first told her why I had taken a liking to her. I vividly remembered the skeptical frown on her face when I'd uttered the words 'full of light'. Yet that was the very reason behind the brightness that she seemed to be giving out at all times; She was completely unaware of the beauty that she possessed on both the inside and outside.

Again she moved, one of her hands rubbing her cheek to brush away a lock of her silky, blonde hair that had fallen into her face. My eyes fell on the bracelet that I suspected was permanently secured to her wrist these days. My bracelet. A marvelous piece of jewelry, but still nothing compared to the way she sparkled, without even trying. My Caroline, the very essence of light.

Then again, she had to be full of light, because lord knows it would take a hell of a lot of light to illuminate the darkest parts that were buried deep within me. Nevertheless, in over a thousand years, she was the only person who had succeeded at making the dark place that I was in a significant fraction less dark.

At the beginning of all this, the beginning of Caroline and me, I had even briefly entertained the thought that maybe this relationship wasn't fair to her. After all, I was an ordinary thief, stealing her light. At first I had been trying to resist her, my main concern being that she would be my downfall, but as I spent more time with her, I found that I craved her light almost as much as I craved human blood. Also, I had made myself believe that if she willingly shared her light with me, it wouldn't truly count as stealing...

Even at this very moment, I still wasn't certain whether my actions were justified or not… But it was no secret that at the core, I would forever remain a selfish man. And so I wanted her to be mine, seeing as the idea of her being with anyone but me made my cold heart shatter. The very heart that -up until now- I'd never expected could be warmed up again.

And yet she had made me care. She had accomplished the one thing that no one ever had… She made me care for something other than myself. Truth be told, I was close to the point where I would care more about someone else than I cared about myself. About her. She had made herself the one thing I knew I wouldn't be able to live without anymore. The mere idea of her not being around me, leaving behind a hollow, pitch-black space that I would never be able to fill again, was immensely frightening.

She broke off my thoughts, mumbling a few more words that I was unable to make out. I smiled, bringing my hand to her face, my fingertips lightly caressing the soft skin that covered her cheekbone.

Her smile stretched wider. "Nik…" She breathed quietly.

A thrill shot through me as she sighed my name in her sleep.

"Yes, it's me, sweetheart." I murmured lowly, not wanting to wake her up.

She was dreaming about me. She could have anyone. Any man. A man who wasn't as messed up and deranged as I was. A man who had his heart in the right place. A man like the Lockwood boy, who had been more than willing to give her whatever she needed from him. But regardless, she had chosen me. And I would be eternally grateful for that…

I couldn't avert my eyes; I would never get enough of watching her. She looked so peaceful, so serene. I felt the sudden urge to capture this moment. To make it last forever. I got up to get a pencil and some paper. Painting this picture in my mind simply wouldn't be enough. All I wanted right now, was to draw the light that I trusted would never fade...


	30. Forever

Of course Rebekah had to go and interrupt us. She stormed into the room, already chaotically rambling at her brother the instant she rudely barged in.

"I just ran into Kol and Elijah! What the hell is going on, Nik? What have you done to Finn? And is it true what Kol told me? Is our mother back?" She fired her questions at him, her frosty blue eyes never actually looking at me.

Klaus sighed, rolling his eyes before he briefly turned to answer his sister. "I'm afraid so… It's a long story." He said tiredly.

"Do enlighten me." She pressed, urgency coloring her tone.

He glimpsed back at me, his eyes giving me an unspoken apology. "You know what, sweetheart? Why don't you go upstairs to take a shower and change into some dry clothes. I promise I won't be long. We will have that talk."

"Fine…" I muttered as I held up my hands, not at all interested in starting an argument. Aside from that, the guy did have a point; The cold, wet fabric that was clinging to my skin was getting very uncomfortable.

I was about to leave the room, when Rebekah's hesitating voice made me freeze.

"Caroline…"

That was my name, coming out of her mouth. I was stunned because she was directly speaking to me. She never did that. That is, if you didn't count the snide remarks that she hurled at me every so often.

I partly turned to face her, if only because she had sparked my curiosity. "Yes?"

Her reply confounded me even further. I had been prepared for the usual taunting and name-calling. Or perhaps another one of her unfounded accusations. But it never came. On the contrary… What I got was sincere gratitude.

"Thank you." She simply said. "Thank you, for sticking with my brother. He needs that."

It was hard for me to properly hide my shock. My jaw slackened, and my eyebrows were nearly shooting up into my hairline. Klaus looked equally stupefied, but unless I was imagining things, there was also a smile tugging at his lips.

I snapped out of my stupor, trying for a smile of my own as I responded to her unexpected word of thanks. "Sure… Like you, all I want is for him to be safe."

Rebekah nodded stiffly, the side of her mouth lifting up into the tiniest of smiles. "At least we have that in common."

"In case the two of you haven't noticed, I'm right here." Klaus scoffed, although there definitely was some humor there as well. Maybe even relief. Relief that his girlfriend and his favorite sibling were finally talking to each other in a way that was civilized, if nothing else.

Rebekah pulled a mocking face at her brother. "Good that you mention it, Nik. We never would've guessed."

I snorted involuntarily. "Alright, I'll leave you two to talk. I really do need a shower." I excused myself.

"Yes. I'll be right up." Klaus vowed, swiftly pressing a kiss to my forehead.

With that I skipped out of the room, heading for his room as fast as I could without childishly running, hoping to prevent that I would bump into yet another Original.

As I stepped into the room that I was getting more and more familiar with, I breathed a sigh. Too many things were going on inside my crowded mind…

The wrath of the Original witch, and the drama that she was without a doubt about to inflict on all of us. This house full of Orignals that was -absurdly enough- gradually becoming a second home to me. That talk that Klaus had insisted on having with me... For days I had been sort of pushing him to make up his mind, but now that he claimed that he had done just that, I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear it.

I entered the bathroom, getting rid of my wet, muddy clothes and stepping into the shower. I turned on the hot water, irrationally praying that it would wash away my worries. It didn't. Save for the few muscles that I felt relax ever so slightly, the water offered me no comfort.

I got out of the shower and hunted down a towel. It wasn't until then that I realized that I was going to need some dry clothes, seeing as mine were still very much soaked. And so I wandered into the large walk-in closet that was also part of his room, planning on finding one of his shirts. Maybe some sweatpants, if I even owned something like that…

But I was in for a surprise, because even though his clothes were taking up about eighty percent of his closet, there was also a small section that consisted of clothes that I suspected were meant for me. My suspicions were confirmed when I investigated some of the labels, noting that every piece of clothing was exactly my size. There were casual clothes like jeans and long sleeved shirts, but there were also a couple of dresses. Nothing extravagant, but nevertheless, it were all designer clothes. The kind of clothes that he wore. As well as Rebekah, and all the other members of his family. They were always dressed so impeccably well…

I chewed my bottom lip, hesitating before taking out one of the dresses. A blue one. I tentatively changed into the dress, and once it was on I sneaked a look into the life-size mirror that was situated at the other end of the closet. The dress was sleeveless and knee length, made of a soft, silky material. Despite the fact that it fit nicely, I frowned at my reflection. The pricy piece of clothing wasn't really… Me. On the other hand, when dressed like this, maybe I would feel a little less out of place while staying at this fancy mansion filled with fancy-looking Originals.

My frown deepened when I suddenly saw him appear behind me in the mirror. I swirled around so that we were eye to eye.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, sweetheart." He complimented appreciatively. "Not that you don't always look stunning, but you get what I mean." He added with a grin, his blue eyes twinkling.

There was something about those eyes that made you smile, even when the situation didn't call for it at all. "Thank you. And thanks for…" I casually waved my hand at the clothes that he had bought me.

"My pleasure, love." He said as he got rid of the distance that separated me from him, pulling me in and planting a kiss into my moist hair. I melted into his embrace, associating his strong arms with shelter and safety.

Shortly after he freed me, taking one of my hands in his, tugging me along as he led me out of the closet and into his bedroom. He guided me in the direction of his bed, sitting down on the edge, his eyes communicating that he wanted me to follow his example. We were facing the window, and I realized that the sun was about to rise, presenting us with a new day.

I could feel his eyes on me. He was watching me closely, deliberately.

"So…" I spurred, as I angled my body towards him, eager to get it over with.

"So…" He repeated after me. "I believe that I made you a promise... I told you that I would think certain issues through, and that I would try to figure out what it is that's truly important to me…"

"Yes…" I whispered, casting my eyes down to avoid his, instead looking at our intertwined hands that were resting on my knee.

I felt how he placed one of his slim fingers under my chin, gently lifting it up so that I had no other choice but to look at him.

"You see, I've never had a problem making decisions, Caroline. For centuries, I have done whatever suited me best. No time for pondering, or contemplating… I acted on impulse, always keeping in mind that I needed to do what was in my own best interest…"

"I know, Nik." I whispered, blinking so that I could shut out his torn expression, if only for one tenth of a second. "I've told you before… I get it. I get you. I get what is important to you…"

And I was speaking the truth. I could understand all too well; For nearly a thousand years, all he'd had to think about was himself. No one had ever looked out for him, so why would he feel the need to look out for anyone else? That thought was fueling my anxiety. God, what was I thinking? Was I as arrogant as to believe that a thousand year old Original would turn his entire life around to please the small-town girl that had accidentally captured a fraction of his attention?

"No." He said calmly, his eyes softening up another notch, his hand dropping from my chin. "To be honest, I don't think you do."

I had no clue what to say, and so I opted for silence.

"Let's say that I would leave this town... That I would take the doppelganger's blood with me, and find some other place to start over. A place where I would create a new family… A new generation of hybrids."

"Yes…" I muttered weakly. The scene that he was sketching gave me the chills. There was a hollow feeling in my stomach as I pictured the scenario that he was describing.

"How do you suppose my new 'family' would react if anything happened to me?" He questioned, quizzically cocking an eyebrow at me, daring me to show him the honesty that he was so fond of.

The riddle that he gave me wasn't hard to solve. After all, I had experienced it first hand with Tyler. How he had tried to break the sire bond. How he'd been willing to do whatever he needed to do to get his life back… A Klaus-free life.

"I suppose… That none of them would shed a tear." I admitted, not looking away from him, even though it wasn't his hand holding my face in place anymore. It was the captivating gaze that he gave me.

"No need to sugarcoat it for me, love…" He said sourly. "The uncensored version is; They'd be dancing on my grave, celebrating my downfall, along with their freedom."

"Probably, yes." I said, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"And then there's you." He moved on without taking a break, his whole posture displaying how earnest he was. "You were willing to give up everything to be with me. You risked losing your friends, your mother… You even ended your relationship with the boy who would've been a much safer and easier choice for you."

I shrugged, dismissing his appreciation for what I'd done for him. "I guess love does that to a person…"

"Funny you should mention that… Love is a vampire's greatest weakness." He mused distantly. "But you see, until I met you, I never believed that someone could ever feel that way about me. And then you came along, proving me wrong... And for all that, I figure that your reaction to my demise would be rather different."

I sighed, shaking my head. "There's no need for me to tell you that I would be devastated if anything happened to you, Nik. You know that…"

He leaned in, his alluring fragrance enveloping me. Hardly any space was left between us. "Yes… I've come to realize that I do know that. And how foolish would it be of me to take it for granted? To take you for granted."

I batted my eyes at him, dazed. Was I being overly optimistic again, or was this conversation heading in a positive direction? I could find no words, and therefore I feverishly prayed that he would keep talking. Apparently my prayers were heard, because he did.

"However, if I agree to leave the doppelganger in peace… If I agree to a truce, or a treaty, or whatever you want to call it… I will need you to take an oath first." He bargained.

Oh my… Was this it? Was this what I'd been waiting for all along, ever since that memorable day that I'd reluctantly decided to give him the benefit of the doubt? Had all of my hard work and patience actually paid off?

Despite the fact that I had yet to hear his conditions, I was feeling euphoric. On a high, because of the victory that I was now certain was mere inches away. One promise away. He was faltering, his walls slowly crumbling down around him. It had taken him centuries, but Niklaus Mikaelson finally understood that there was more to life than revenge, rage and violence. He finally grasped that there was no need to force people to stay with you in order to not end up all alone.

"Anything…" I agreed recklessly, knowing that it didn't matter anyway. In the end, I would do whatever he needed me to do. Everything would be better than losing him. Than losing the long lost humanity within him that had recently been revived. I would never be able to live without that part of him anymore, not now that I had gotten so accustomed it. "Whatever you need, Nik. Just ask."

He used them again. Those extraordinary blue eyes. His most powerful weapon when it came to me. However, when he spoke he didn't frame his request right away. "I remember what you said the other day, Caroline… And I can truthfully tell you that I've come to the conclusion that you are enough for always."

His voice, in addition to his words, was enhancing my dreamlike state. I made no effort to suppress the smile that crept upon my face, even though I could sense that there was a 'but'. I wasted no time, asking him right away what the catch was.

"But?" I pried. "There's a but…"

He guiltily looked up at me through his lashes, seeing as I had busted him. "But… That would mean that you can't leave me. Not ever. You will have to swear that you won't ever give up on me..."

"That one's easy…" I said quietly.

My hand tightened around his, giving him a reassuring squeeze as I dutifully waited for him to list the rest of his conditions... Only to find out that there were none. He didn't come up with any other tricky demands, he was merely watching me in a calculating manner.

"Wait, that's all?" I asked incredulously when his silence lasted.

"Isn't that more than enough?" He responded dubiously, still grave. "You should keep in mind that forever is a long time, love. I would know… Who's to say that you won't get sick of me? You may be willing to stay with me now, but how about in a decade? Or a century? I trust you can see that I'm not the easiest person to spend an eternity with."

"Really, that's all?" I checked again, not at all addressing the insecurities that he had shared with me just now.

He scowled at me, but he did answer. "Yes, that is all. Be careful though… You shouldn't take this too lightly, sweetheart."

"Then neither should you." I shot back. "Did it ever cross your mind that this goes both ways? Forever is a long time indeed… What if it is you getting tired of me?"

"That's not nearly the same." He protested, his scowl transforming into a full-blown glower.

"I don't see how it's any different, Nik. The way I see it, it's exactly the same. We will both have to trust each other."

"I do trust you, but feelings can change over time, Caroline. And it so happens that we have an unlimited amount of time in front of us."

He attempted to stare me down, but this hybrid was out of luck. As far as I was concerned, this discussion was moot anyway. He had summarized his one condition, and I was more than ready to go along with it. Why did he have to make this unnecessarily complicated?

The confusion on his handsome face as I daringly returned his glare with a radiant smile, would have been hilarious, had the moment not been this severe. I inwardly thanked whoever it was inventing the element of surprise. The sorrow in his eyes hadn't completely vanished though, and I so badly wished that there was a way to reassure him that people weren't always leaving...

"Come here you." I said, unthinkingly throwing my arms around him, holding him impossibly tight. He tensed but didn't resist, slowly wrapping his arms around me and holding me to him. I rested my chin on his shoulder, feeling his warm breath against the exposed skin of my neck. "I know you're scared... You have every reason to be… But you won't ever have to be alone again. I will see to it." I whispered in his ear.

There was no verbal response from his side, but I did hear how he inhaled unevenly, his breathing becoming irregular.

"Everything will work out fine… Stop driving yourself insane. I won't let you down, so please don't make me pay for other people's mistakes... Never mind your father. Or your mother… They're the ones at fault here. They have failed to love you….But I do love you. I love you so much, Nik. Forever." I cooed soothingly, one of my hands tenderly stroking the tousled hair on the back of his head.

I couldn't tell how long I held him like that, waiting for his breathing to go back to normal. Waiting for him to say something, anything. Waiting for him to collect himself, because I knew how much he hated to show his vulnerability to other people, even me… And I couldn't blame him. After all, the only thing he'd ever known was rejection. How much rejection could one person take before it would make them bitter? How many times could a heart be crushed before it was broken beyond repair?

I tried to give him some space by deliberately not pulling back, so that he wouldn't feel the obligation to look me in the eye. That way, he could process the fear that had been eating him for so many decades, without me analyzing his every emotion. The fear of being all alone for the remainder of his eternal existence.

Eventually, his grip on me loosened. I released him, and he smiled wryly at me as he sat back slightly.

"So… Forever, is that right, love? You truly are prepared to give it a go, aren't you…" He murmured, amazed.

"I am. Forever, Nik." I solemnly swore. "You have my word."

I covered his hand with mine, gazing directly into his wary blue eyes. The sadness in them literally made my heart ache. I would make it better. I would fix him, even if it was the very last thing I did…


	31. Spells and Stakes

Klaus' phone buzzed in his pocket, and we were cruelly reminded that there were other things on this planet than just the two of us. Genuine disarray shadowed his face as he checked who the bothersome caller was. When he picked up, I could see why he was taken aback.

"Stefan… Well this certainly is a surprise. To what do I owe the honor?" He smoothly said, getting up from the bed.

His eyes only rested on me for a second or so, and then he started to pace the room, something he usually did when he was on the phone. I randomly noted how I had already become familiar with all his little habits.

I concentrated on the sound that was coming from the phone, dying to find out why on earth Stefan was calling him. When Stefan's voice gradually invaded my ears, realization dawned on me.

"Actually, I need to speak to Caroline, but she isn't answering her phone. Is she there?" Stefan asked.

Oh, right. I knew where my phone was… Buried somewhere in the pile of dirty clothes on the bathroom floor.

"She's here." Klaus confirmed innocently, giving me a wicked grin.

I rolled my eyes at him, holding out my hand and giving him a stern look, signaling for him to pass on the phone.

"If you don't mind, I would like to talk to her." Stefan inquired, keeping his tone neutral, even though I could hear his patience wavering.

"Nik!" I hissed his name, somewhat irritated.

He gave me that smirk that I both loved and hated, but humored me. "I suppose that can be arranged, mate. Go ahead." He replied to Stefan, casually handing his phone over to me.

"You suck." I playfully uttered under my breath as I put the phone to my ear.

"Yes I do, sweetheart. I bite, too." He huskily whispered against my cheek, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

I smacked his arm, teasingly pushing him away.

He grinned, planting a small kiss on my temple. "I'll let you two have a word then..." He murmured before he strode out of the room.

"Stefan? What's up?" I questioned.

I was alarmed when I was greeted by one of his tortured sighs. The kind that told me that he was brooding. Or moping. Or worrying. Or all of the above.

"That bad, huh?" I tried for a joke to ease the tension.

"I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing by calling you, but I couldn't just… Not call." He started cryptically.

"Okay… Could you rephrase that in plain English, please?" He was stalling, and so I probed for a more accurate explanation as to why he was calling me.

To be honest, I was beginning to feel a bit anxious. Whatever he was trying to say, I could already guess that it was most likely bad news.

"God, I must be out of my mind…" Stefan muttered to himself, rather than speaking to me. "I'm an idiot for doing this, but at the end of the day you are my friend… And I couldn't live with myself, had I not given you a fair warning..."

"Warning?" I pressed nervously. "What do you need to warn me for?"

One word was enough to clear up everything. Or rather, one name. "Damon."

My stomach clenched, my hand almost crushing Klaus' phone. I could very well predict what was coming… Damon and another one of his master plans to put an end to Klaus. Just great. Aside from Esther, we would have him to worry about as well.

"Right… Damon." I said dimly. "What's he up to this time?"

And then Stefan blurted out what I guessed he would have preferred to have kept to himself, because no matter what, he was going behind his brother's back.

"I stayed at Elena's last night, you know, when I went to check on her… With Esther on the loose, I just wanted to keep an eye on her. She was home alone, because Ric is doing better thanks to Bonnie's herbs, and he left town with Meredith for a couple of weeks to take a break from all the insanity that is Mystic Falls…"

"Alright, and…" I pushed him to get to the point, since I wasn't taking the suspense too well.

"When I got home this morning, Damon wasn't there. At first I assumed that he had left the building because he wasn't too happy about me staying with Elena. But less than an hour later, he texted me like nothing was wrong... Now he didn't tell me about the how and when, but he wrote something along the lines of; 'I'm on top of the white oak situation, we're back in the game, brother. See you in a couple of hours, get ready for some plotting and scheming'." I could detect the conflict in his voice as he loosely quoted the message.

"God, this is bad…" I concluded blankly, pausing as it occurred to me that it was unusual for Stefan to provide me with this crucial piece of information. "But… Why are you telling me all of this?"

Needless to say, I was thankful, but also extremely surprised. Sure, Stefan was my friend, but he would never compromise an opportunity to get Klaus out of the way. Not on my behalf, especially not when there was also Elena to think about.

Stefan cleared his throat. "Don't get me wrong, I have no plans of going against whatever it is that Damon's planning. Also, I'm definitely not up for saving Klaus… I guess all I'm trying to communicate here, is that if you still want to do any negotiating, now would be the time. Although I doubt if there's anything that could stop my brother once his mind is made up, but like I said, giving you a fair chance is the least I can do. You've been there for me at a time when I really needed it…"

My body trembled as I exhaled. For the first time I actually glanced around Klaus' room instead of staring at the thick carpet that covered the floor, finding that he hadn't returned yet.

"I see…" I breathed into the phone.

"I'd say it is time for Klaus to make choices… If he wants to keep you around, that is." Stefan suggested calmly.

"You're right. But you know what… I think that he has made his choice." My statement came out with an amount of confidence that was unforeseen. "I should go..." I added hastily.

"Alright… Talk to you later?" He asked, a bit unsure.

"Sure… Thank you, Stefan. Seriously." I said before putting down the phone.

I sprang up from the bed, willing myself to get out of my state of panic and come up with a concrete solution. What would be the best way to go about this? Talking to Damon was not an option. I would terrorize an orphanage before I would willingly go crawling to him to try and strike a deal. Aka; Never going to happen. It would be a waste of precious time and energy. Then there was my Original boyfriend, but I trusted that he was pretty much a done deal… Of course I would have to double-check this one, but if he truly saw me as his number one priority, the whole doppelganger-blood-problem was out of the way.

Which left me with the most efficient plan; Going back to the start. I needed Bonnie, because one thing was a given; Klaus would never come away with me -leaving all of this behind- as long as there was the risk that he could drop dead at any second because one of his siblings had gotten themselves into trouble. That stinking spell had to be reversed.

I stumbled into the bathroom, rummaging through my wet clothes and fishing my cellphone out of the pocket of my jeans. I dialed Bonnie's number, and was strangely overcome with relief when she picked up on the first ring.

"Bonnie, thank god." My own voice sounded unnaturally loud in my ears, echoing against the cream colored tiles that clad the walls of his bathroom.

"Caroline?" She responded guardedly.

"Yes… You have to help me. Please..."

-xxx-

My words were hurried, and my summary was all over the place as I filled Bonnie in. I had no hopes of her being any form of cooperative, but I was out of ideas. There was pleading, begging, and towards the end of my rant, there even were a few tears.

I roughly wiped them away as they silently fell from my eyes. Bonnie had been mute for a while now, waiting for me to wrap up my disordered speech. When her voice spilled out of the phone again, I was back in the position that I'd been in while talking to Stefan; Sitting on the edge of Klaus' bed. My hands were tiredly rubbing my aching forehead.

"You know, I did give it some thought, after you came to see me." She admitted quietly. "I can see how this could be beneficial for all of us. Infuriating Klaus could so easily result in people getting harmed… On the off chance that we'll be able to vanquish him for good, it most likely wouldn't go without collateral damage. Innocent people dying. People like Elena, or Jeremy, or Matt. Or you, while trying to protect him. Nonetheless, if taking him down had been the only way, I wouldn't have thought twice about it, but if you truly believe that he would be willing to leave us in peace…"

"I do." I interjected fervently before she could continue.

"I know you do, Caroline." She sighed, a tad skeptical.

"Surreal as it is, I think that I could be enough for him… He claims that he wants to show me the world, and I don't mind taking him up on his offer..." In spite of it all, I smiled at the thought. For a moment, the image of him taking me away to introduce me to all the beauty that he claimed was out there, didn't seem too far away.

Bonnie's voice scattered my vision of faraway countries and sunny beaches. "And I want nothing more than to trust your judgment, but you might be a bit biased… I will need a little more reassurance before I can break this spell and actually justify it to myself."

"I understand… You have every right to question his sincerity." I sighed as I prepared for her to reject my cry for help. Or so I thought…

"Oh, but there are ways, Care." She announced mysteriously.

My head shot up, the phone nearly slipping out of my hand as Klaus entered the room. His scrutinizing eyes were seeking out mine, and I needed a minute to refocus on my conversation with Bonnie.

"Wait what? There are?" I asked hopefully.

I fumbled with the daylight ring on my finger, averting my eyes from his. Though I didn't look up, I felt how the bed shifted under his weight as he sat down beside me.

"Yes. But if I agree to unlink the Originals, he would have to be willing to let me add some magic of my own. In fact, maybe it's best if we discuss this in person, it's a long story." Bonnie elaborated, all business all of the sudden.

I skipped a breath; For the first time since Stefan's call I was feeling a small flare of hope.

"Really? Should I… Come over?" I asked straight away, all too willing to go along with whatever she wished, if it meant that we could reach an agreement.

"Actually, I have another plan… Let's meet at a neutral place. Your house." She proposed thoughtfully. "And I will try to convince Elena to come with me… If Klaus goes along with my conditions, she is one of the necessary elements that we're going to need, and I will need her permission. Besides, this is mainly about her future and safety, so her opinion does weigh heavily."

"Wait… You want me to bring him?" I verified, astonished.

I could so envision the weirdness… Me, my two best friends, and my infamous boyfriend who had tried to kill them both on several occasions… All in the same room. Somebody shoot me now. Surely he had to be thinking the very same thing... Then again, he had merely heard half of the story. I glanced sideways, to where he was motionlessly observing me, his features unreadable.

"I suppose there's no way around that if we want to come to an arrangement." Bonnie stated brusquely.

"I suppose…" I absently agreed, wondering how he was going to take all of this once I updated him.

"So how about we meet around noon?" She asked.

"I'll have to talk to Nik first…" I reminded her, my gaze meeting his. "But if he agrees, yes. Noon's fine."

We said our goodbyes, and I dropped my phone to the bed, which was the unofficial sign for Klaus to hit me with the flood of questions that he'd been holding back.

"Alright, what the hell is going on, love?" He demanded, his mouth molded into a thin line. "Care to let me in on what this all about?"

I fidgeted on the bed, edgily tangling and untangling my hands, not sure what to tell him first. I deliberated, playing with my fingers until one of his hands grabbed both of mine, holding them still.

"Caroline…" He reprimanded, throwing in a glare.

"Always so patient." I grumbled. "But fine… There's some bad news… But there may also be some good news, depending on what it is you want…" I purposely kept it vague, because before I went into any details, there was one thing that we needed to establish once and for all.

"You're going to have to be a bit more specific here, sweetheart." He said lowly, getting frustrated.

"I will, and you're not going to like it. It involves Damon Salvatore, and white oak…" I said ominously.

His eyes became a few shades darker, that unsettling hint of yellow making its appearance; Never a good sign. But I was a million miles past the point where this Original scared me, and I had learned to ignore it.

"And what would the good news be?" He questioned, jaw set, teeth clenched.

I put my hand to the side of his rigid face. "Bonnie may be willing to unlink you and your siblings, so that we can at least scratch one problem from the endless list."

"And she wants to meet to talk about what she wants in return." He stated the part that he'd already heard when listening in on my call with Bonnie.

"Yes. But before you can even consider coming with me when I go to talk to her, there's something that we need to get out of the way, otherwise there is no point to any of this…" I began cautiously.

He grimaced, the muscles in his face growing even more tense under my fingertips. "Alright, let's hear it."

I breathed deeply; Time for the dreadful double-check.

"You will have to be sure, Nik. One hundred percent sure… If Bonnie gives in, there's no way that Elena's blood will be part of the deal, you get that, do you? No hybrids… You'll have to make do with me, for the rest of forever…"

I rambled on as he watched me with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief.

"And yes, I know that we talked about this earlier today, but forever is a long ti…"

He dipped his head faster than even my vampire eyes were able to register, shutting me up by claiming my lips with his. One of his hands held me steady by supporting the back of my neck. A small huff escaped me at the unexpected movement, but my brain was soon sending me the sign that this was the part where I was supposed to kiss him back… He was gentle as always, but at the same time his lips were moving with an undeniable determination. I secured myself to him by slipping my arms around his neck, while he took our kiss to the next level. I sighed into his mouth as I savored the sweet taste that was his and his alone, his tongue flicking against mine. I ran out of breath eventually, which caused me to reluctantly pull away.

I slowly opened my eyes, and the first thing I noticed where his eyes, impossibly close to mine. They were earnest, sincere, and full of so many promises. Promises of forever. The gold had gone back to the light tint of blue that I adored.

I swallowed to lubricate my dry throat, so that I could speak.

"Right. That's settled then..." I dryly stumbled. "Bonnie wants to meet at my house around twelve."

-xxx-

My current location? The mansion's oversized kitchen. My company? Rebekah and Kol. Klaus was in his study, discussing the current state of events with Elijah after he had given all of them a short version first. I had been craving some breakfast after being up all night, and so I ended up sharing the kitchen table with his sister and youngest brother. They were sitting across from me, and I tried to keep my eyes focused on my food.

The TV in the kitchen was on, so luckily there was no room for awkward silences. There was, however, room for bickering between the two siblings. Kol was hyperactively flicking through channels as he ate his pancakes, and Rebekah was glaring daggers at him from behind her plate with toast.

"Kol, do you mind?" She snapped.

Kol pulled a face at his sister. "Oh, I get it. You want to watch one of your shallow, girly shows."

"Oh, put a sock in it!" She sneered. "Quite honestly I couldn't care less what we watch, if you could just pick one thing and stick with it."

Kol had too much fun taunting his sister, and he started flipping channels again. That earned him a slap to the back of his head. Her new goal was to pry the remote from his fingers, but he held it out of her reach, still switching from channel to channel while he tried to fight her off.

I watched in silent amusement as I ate my cornflakes. For some reason it was oddly reassuring to see them act so… Normal. It was a regular family breakfast. Well, as regular as could be expected from a bunch of ancient vampires…

All of the sudden, Kol crossed the channel that was broadcasting the local news, and their banter abruptly died out. As did my amusement. A chipper female newsreader was sharing today's short announcements…

'… monumental sign placed near the Wickery Bridge was stolen last night. Many locals have expressed their dismay, seeing as the sign in question was symbolically made of the few last remains of oak wood that were saved from the original Wickery bridge, which was renovated two months ago. There were no signs of…'

Rebekah groaned, drowning out the woman's voice, her eyes gliding from Kol to me. "So that's where he got it…"

"Figures… It has been right under our noses the entire time." Kol remarked gloomily.

"Lovely! That bastard is probably carving stakes as we speak! He is so not getting away with this..." She hissed, glaring at the television where a commercial was now playing. "I'll have him know that we won't go down that easily."

I dropped my spoon, my appetite gone up in smoke. For the first time ever, I couldn't help but hope that Rebekah was right…


	32. Betrayal

Never before would I've labeled our kitchen as 'small', but compared to the kitchen where I'd eaten breakfast this morning, it was the size of a shoebox. Pacing back and forth here was so much less satisfying than it was at his house, where most rooms were the size of an average ballroom. It was eleven thirty, and we were waiting for Bonnie to arrive.

"Caroline." Klaus said exasperatedly. "Would you please stop that?"

He was watching me from his position on one of the chairs. His posture was immobile as a stone, but his eyes were following my every move. He radiated a calmness that was very out of character for him. When I passed him for the millionth time, he literally swept me off my feet by putting his hands on my waist and pulling me into his lap with a sharp tug.

"Nik!" I screeched crankily as I crashed into his lap.

He was deeply impressed by my fury. Not. He locked his arms around me in an iron grasp, and his way of keeping me from objecting was leaving a hot trail of openmouthed kisses along my jawline. He soon moved on, those irresistible lips travelling up and down my throat. My breathing intensified in a way that was utmost humiliating.

"Seriously! Cut it out. Now's hardly the time, you're distracting me!" I whined.

"Distracting you from what, sweetheart?" He mocked, his breath touching the now overheated skin of my neck. "Driving yourself to the brink of insanity while we're waiting for the witch to show up?"

"Yes! I mean, no! I mean… We should be focusing on the screwed up situation that we're in! This is serious, Nik!" I was babbling aimlessly.

My brain had become pudding, thanks to him and his talented lips. Not to mention that endearing accent that he seemed to exaggerate whenever he felt the need to turn me into a marshmallow. He was doing it right now. Evil cheater.

"Believe me, I'm not unaware, love." He murmured right beside my ear. "But this is out of our hands… Perhaps the witch will do what we need her to do, and perhaps she won't, forcing me to come up with another less non-violent plan… Either way, I fail to see how you eating yourself up over it is going to be of any help."

"Whatever. Making out doesn't solve things either." I huffed, twisting my head to glower at him, only to be confronted with the lopsided grin that he gave me in return.

"My Caroline… The epitome of stubbornness." He lilted lovingly, planting a kiss in my hair, paying no mind to my irritation.

There was a knock on the backdoor, but it already flew open before I could get up to answer it. Bonnie walked in, and my blush was bright enough to light up the dark side of the moon. Let's face it; She was basically walking in on me getting cozy with the man whom she considered to be the spawn of the devil. She raised an eyebrow as I wiggled myself out of his grip, a peculiar look crossing her face. Unlike what I would've expected, it wasn't downright disgust. Her eyes reflected a variety of emotions, but I was unable to place my finger on it.

"Bonnie… Glad you're here." I said, awkwardly getting up from his lap. I heard him chuckle behind me.

"I told you I would come… Let's get to business, shall we." Bonnie said coolly, slyly glaring past me to where Klaus was sitting.

"Very well." Klaus agreed calmly. "One thing though… Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't you supposed to bring Elena Gilbert?" He added, cocking his head to the side.

"Wouldn't you have loved that." Bonnie mumbled nearly inaudibly. The glare that her words elicited from him was unmistakably indicating that she had offended him. "But no, I think you can imagine that she wasn't too thrilled to come along."

I frowned at my best friend. "Oh… But you said you needed her."

"Actually… I needed her permission, and a few drops of her blood." Bonnie corrected as she held up her hand, showing a small bottle that held the tiniest amount of red liquid. "She gave me both, so let's talk…"

-xxx-

If awkwardness could kill a person -whether said person was alive or undead- this would be the time for me to start arranging my funeral. Bonnie was sitting at the other side of the table, and I was sitting next to Klaus, maintaining a carefully composed no-contact-policy. Not that he stuck to it, for his hand was holding mine under the table, his index finger doodling patterns in the palm of my hand.

"Alright, why don't you tell it like it is. Name your conditions." Klaus said; He was never one for wasting time when his own best interest was at stake.

Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him, but she gave in to his request, opening an old journal that she'd brought with her.

"Fine. I will tell it like it is... As much as Caroline believes that you can be trusted, I have my own opinions. If I reversed the spell, there's no guarantee whatsoever that you will leave this town and let Elena live her life in peace." She started as she rapidly flipped through the pages of the journal.

"Fair enough." Klaus stated, although I could feel his body tense beside me; He was battling to stay in control.

"So…" I unsubtly urged Bonnie to keep talking.

"So… I found this journal that belonged to Grams, and I came across an interesting spell. A spell that will at least give me a warning in advance when he decides that he does need Elena's blood after all." She defined as she reached the page that she'd been looking for.

I had to restrain myself not to defend him when I noticed how she used the word 'when' instead of 'if'. It became painfully obvious that the only reason that she was even considering this was my faith in him.

"Do elaborate." Klaus prompted lowly, glaring at her; Not much was left of the patience that he'd been displaying earlier.

Bonnie matched his glare, rolling her eyes, but thankfully continuing. "If you agree to let me do this spell, it would mean that you won't be able to get anywhere near Elena anymore. Or at least, not without me knowing. You will be marked. The instant you get within a five mile radius of her, I will sense it. That way, if anything happens to her, I will know that it was you, and I will know where to find you."

A long silence started where her explanation ended. If you asked me, the spell didn't sound that horrible. Not horrible at all, especially not when keeping in mind that he had claimed that he was willing to make do without his stinking hybrids. I realized that we were about to find out if he'd truly meant it.

Bonnie said nothing, regarding both me and Klaus with a rather void look on her face. Just as I couldn't take it anymore, Klaus spoke the words that I'd so desperately prayed he would.

"By all means, go ahead and do it." He allowed gruffly, his hand wrapping tighter around mine where he was holding it under the table. "If it means that you agree to do the unlinking spell, that is."

She nodded curtly. "I take it you still have the grimoire that your mother used to do the spell?"

"I do." He confirmed.

"Good, then this is my offer… You will let me do the spell to protect Elena, and I'll come to your house tonight to perform the unlinking spell. Aside from the grimoire, I'm going to need a few drops of blood from all five of you." She listed.

Klaus gave her another extended, examining look. I lightly placed my hand on his upper arm, and he glimpsed at me.

"Fine. Consider it a deal." His eyes were still appraising me as he voiced those redeeming words.

He turned back to Bonnie, who gave him a detached nod. "Alright."

She started searching the bag of supplies that she had taken with her, taking out some candles.

"Wait, this has to happen right now?" I asked as I watched how she started to place several candles on each side of the wooden table.

"Yes. I want to make sure that he means it before I set one foot in that house full of Originals to undo the spell." Bonnie wittily replied.

"Your trust truly is heartwarming." Klaus shot at her.

She briefly looked up from the journal to scowl at him. "Trust is something that needs to be earned."

I sighed, hating that I was once again presented with the fact that I was in love with a man who would never receive any acceptance from my closest friends. With good reason. But nevertheless, it bothered me.

The last item that Bonnie pulled out of the bag was a small silver bowl, in which she poured the liquid from the tiny bottle. Elena's blood.

"All set. But I will need one more ingredient." Bonnie declared.

Klaus arched an eyebrow at her.

"Your blood." She clarified.

"Naturally. I should've seen that one coming." He uttered mockingly as he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt.

Without hesitating he brought his arm up to his mouth, biting his wrist. It caused Bonnie to scrunch her nose in a reflex. He held his arm over the bowl, his blood trickling down and mixing with Elena's. Bonnie was soundlessly reading something in the journal, probably checking a few last facts before she would move on to the actual magic. She lighted the candles by merely looking at them, and then her eyes were back on the old documents.

I got up from the table, walking over to the sink to get a wet towel. I made my way back to him, taking his arm and absentmindedly cleaning the bite mark that he'd left. Which was ridiculous. He was a hybrid, for crying out loud! It would've healed within a matter of minutes, but this was one of those human instincts that I was sometimes unable to let go of. Someone you love gets injured in whatever way; You come to their rescue.

If he found it silly at all, he was hiding it impressively well. He wasn't pulling back as I gently removed every last stain of blood from his wrist. When I looked up from what I was doing, I found Bonnie regarding me with that same odd look that she had been giving out when she'd walked in on us.

"I'm sorry, go on." I apologized, just in case I'd done something to complicate the incantation that she was preparing, even if I wasn't sure what.

"Yes, go on. You are planning on doing this today, aren't you?" Klaus scornfully said to her.

"Patience, Nik." I chastised mildly, shaking my head as a warning.

The sigh that he heaved sounded annoyed, but otherwise he didn't comment.

Bonnie took a deep breath, momentarily closing her eyes. When she opened them again, she started chanting. A stream of unfamiliar words was flowing from her mouth, and as usual, I had no idea what to make of it. She kept murmuring, and the candles started flickering, as if an invisible breeze was causing the flames to shimmer…

And then out of nowhere, she stopped. She fell silent, in what I suspected was the middle of the ritual. The candles burned out, and Bonnie gasped, her hands clinging to the edge of the table.

"Bonnie?" I asked, panicked.

Her brown eyes were full of remorse as she gazed up at me. "God, I can't do this…" She whispered. Her tone almost struck me as shameful.

Klaus chuckled humorlessly. "Well isn't that a shocker? I should've known she didn't have it in her."

"Really Nik, don't." I hissed at him without looking in his direction.

"I should… But I can't…" Bonnie said again, not even reacting to Klaus' rude remark.

"What do you mean, Bonnie? You're not strong enough?" I asked softly, going for patience and understanding.

She was still gazing at me with wide eyes. "That's not what I mean." She groaned, seeming frustrated now.

"Then what do you mean?" Klaus snapped. "This isn't the time for drama-queen-like tantrums."

Again she ignored the rudeness that was Klaus Mikaelson, most of her attention going out to me. Her eyes were trying to tell me something, but I had a hard time figuring it out.

"Seriously, Bonnie? What is it?" I insisted, getting more confused with each moment that passed.

Only now did she detach her hands from the kitchen table, pressing her lips together. "I need to talk to you, Caroline. Alone." She admitted at last.

I sneaked a look at Klaus, and it took him no time at all to bluntly answer my unspoken question.

"Oh yes, that sounds like a magnificent plan!" He said sarcastically, his eyes turning into slits. "Why don't you girls have one of your cheerful girly chats! Since nothing of any significance is about to happen here, I might as well go home so that I can take matters into my own hands."

He was up from his chair and at the backdoor in the blink of an eye.

"Please, Nik, don't be like that…" I pleaded with him, also getting up so that we were on the same level.

The grim look on his face didn't waver, but his eyes softened up just enough for me to know that his anger wasn't directed at me.

"She obviously isn't going to be of any help, I'm wasting my time here. I need to look out for my family, Caroline. I need to look out for you. I was willing to call a truce on your behalf, so that you wouldn't get caught between me and your friends, but if it's us or them, I'm picking our lives over theirs." He informed coldly. "I'm picking your life over theirs."

A lump formed in my throat, rendering me speechless.

"I'll be at the mansion, and I strongly recommend that you join me as soon as you're done here, so that I can protect you." Those were his last words before he skipped out of the backdoor.

A shaky breath escaped my lips, and I glanced back at Bonnie, who was giving me a wary smile.

"Okay… What was that? What is going on, Bonnie?" I questioned urgently.

Even my patience with her was beginning to fade at this point. Her hands were restlessly tracing the pages of the journal in front of her.

"Maybe you should sit down." She hinted sinisterly.

I rolled my eyes as I carelessly fell down into the chair across from her. "There! I'm sitting down! Stop procrastinating already, just spit it out!"

She sighed, but luckily caved. One more second of this and I would've exploded due to pure anxiety.

"Caroline… I lied. That spell that I meant to do just now… It wasn't a simple tracking spell to ensure Elena's safety." She confessed, peeking up at me to see my reaction.

But I needed some additional information in order to come up with a fitting response to what she was telling me. "Alright… So, what kind of spell did you try to cast?"

Bonnie sent me a rueful smile. "A spell that would allow me to immobilize him, at any given time and place. At least, within the next forty-eight hours. Also, from what I read, I suspect that I only would've been able to freeze him for a minute or so… Which isn't much, but enough to…"

"Put a stake through his heart!" I was nearly shouting as I ended her sentence for her. "Damon got to you, didn't he!"

She lowered her eyes to the journal, avoiding my frantic glare. "Actually, Damon just left when you called me... He stopped by to tell me that he had gotten his hands on a piece of white oak and begged me to cooperate. He planned to carve a couple of stakes, drag Stefan into the game, and slay some Originals… But he needed some backup, because even Damon isn't as stupid as to walk into a house full of Originals. Even with the proper equipment, it would've been suicide."

"I see…" I said, hearing how my own voice had turned to ice.

She had the decency to look up again as she apologized. "I'm sorry, Caroline, I truly am! It's just, it seemed a golden opportunity to finally get rid of him… I found this old spell to immobilize a vampire in one of my grandma's journals months ago... The blood wasn't Elena's, it was mine, so that there was a connection between me and him, allowing me to paralyze him once we showed up at the mansion later today. What happens to one, happens to all, which means that once we staked him, we wouldn't have the other Originals to deal with. I would pretend to come over to do the unlinking spell, and Damon would make sure to stick around with the stake, waiting for a convenient moment to attack..." She stopped right there, knowing that I could fill the rest in myself.

I gawked at her while feelings of aggravation and shock were both fighting for dominance. Shock won.

"So… When I called you this morning…" I was to baffled to even complete my accusation.

"That was a lucky coincidence. You couldn't have picked a better time to contact me… After all, if I'd called you first to willingly offer to unlink them, Klaus would without a doubt have been suspicious." She said quietly.

"Wow… That was really low… I thought you were my friend!" I spat at her. "You wanted to kill him…" My voice went down to a whisper at the last part.

"But I didn't…" She reminded me.

I slowly blinked at her, her last statement sinking in. "No… You didn't… Why didn't you?" I asked, puzzled.

"I don't know…" Her reply would've been difficult to catch for someone who didn't have the advantage of vampire-hearing. "I had every intention of going through with it when you called me this morning, but then I saw you… With him. The way you act around him… The way he acts around you… I've known you all my life, but I've never seen you look at someone the way you look at him. Not even Tyler, or Matt... Like he means the world to you…"

"Yeah well, I wasn't exactly joking when I told you that I loved him, Bonnie. In fact I was telling the truth. I'm known to do that every once in a while." I said snidely.

"I know that… I just didn't realize that it went that deep, Care." She muttered. "I had no idea, but I can see it now…"

"Really? Can you?" I quipped sarcastically.

"Yes! I know you feel betrayed, and you have every right to be mad at me… But you're my best friend, and you're immortal… How do you think I would feel if you were heartbroken for the rest of your endless life because of something I did? How would I be able to live with myself?"

"You tell me. You were the one plotting with Damon and trying to manipulate me." I retorted, still pissed off beyond all reason.

"Which I will make up to you." She shot back immediately.

"Right…" I let out a cynical snort. "It would take some major making up on your part for me to ever forgive you. How do you plan on doing that?"

She played with the pages of the old spell book, lost in her thoughts, but not taking her eyes away from me. My mouth was set in a skeptical pout as I waited for her to answer my question.

"I think I know how…" She mused after a long moment had passed by. "How about we forget about Damon's plan, and Klaus' plan, and whoever else's plan… We're going to come up with a plan of our own. A plan that won't end in you being miserable for the rest of eternity… What do you say?"


	33. The Next Best Plan

Bonnie silently waited for me to give her a -preferably positive- reply as she offered to set things right. Fat chance. I wasn't going to let her off the hook that easily. Speaking my mind had never been a problem for me; Not back when I'd been human, and even less so ever since I had become a vampire.

"Why would I believe that you really want to help me? You've tried to double-cross me just now! Who's to say you won't do it again? How do I know that you don't have some sort of hidden agenda? You just want me to take your word for it, after what you tried to do to Nik?" I interrogated relentlessly, not keeping myself from showing my lack of trust towards her.

"Look Caroline… Surely you can see that I want to help you. If I truly wanted to kill Klaus, I would've kept my mouth shut… Taking him down would've been so easy if I'd gone through with the original plan." She defended herself. "Please, all I'm asking is a chance to make it up to you."

I chewed my lip as I glowered at her. As it was, I was undergoing a severe case of split personality. Angry Caroline was all for kicking the traitor-witch out of her house, telling her to walk out of her life and never come back.

Rational Caroline on the other hand, wasn't blind to see that Bonnie made a good case… She wouldn't have sabotaged her own attempt at murdering Klaus if killing him was what she truly wanted. Also, given the current situation, Bonnie's help would be more than welcome…

I stood up from the table, to agitated to remain seated. "Alright… Not that you deserve it, but let's say for the sake of argument that I gave you a second chance… What do you suggest we do?" I challenged, crossing my arms in front of my chest.

Bonnie pushed her chair back, getting up as well. "How about I'd tell you that I would be prepared to break the spell?"

I tightened my arms around myself, squinting at her. "I would say… What's in it for you?"

"Nothing, Caroline." She responded instantly. "Nothing, except for everyone to be happy and carry on with their lives. At the end of the day, that's what counts, isn't it? Elena's happiness, your happiness… The fate of all the people that we care about."

"Okay… Go on then... You would break the spell… And then what?" I tried to dig up more specifics.

Bonnie opened her mouth to say something, when her phone produced a shrill beeping noise. She held up a finger as she checked her phone. There was an infinitesimal smile forming around her mouth as she held up the phone in front of my nose, showing a message that she'd received from the one and only Damon Salvatore.

'Did you work your magic? Are we going to do this tonight? D.'

I scrunched my forehead, not getting why she was sharing this with me, but there was no room for me to ask, seeing as she already retrieved her phone to compose a message of her own. She didn't say anything, but did show me her reply when she was done.

'Yes. I will be at the Mikaelson mansion around eight. Make sure to be around, bring Stefan if you can.'

She hit 'send' before I could do so much as bat an eyelash, and I gave her a disconcerted look.

"What the hell, Bonnie?" I sputtered bewilderedly. "Could you please take a side and stick with it!"

She shook her head. "Calm down, I'm not taking anybody's side. But imagine that I would've told Damon what was going on…"

Now that she was putting it like that, I caught on soon enough. "He definitely wouldn't leave it at that. He would be here in a split second, trying to convince you to go through with his plan." I concluded dully.

"Yes… And right now, we need him off our case." Bonnie said as she started to collect her journal and her other witchy supplies.

"But you do want him to come to the mansion?" I asked, still half in the dark.

"I do. Look, I can understand where Damon is coming from… All he wants is for Elena to be happy and safe. As a matter of fact, I want that, too. But I want you to be happy and safe as well… In my opinion, you and Elena both deserve some peace and normalcy."

"Okay… Your point being?" I asked.

She was throwing the candles into the bag now, along with the silver bowl. "My point being, that the only way to accomplish that, is if we call it even. Now, Damon would never voluntarily agree to negotiate with the Originals… But if he shows up at the mansion and realizes that he doesn't have the advantage, because the unlinking spell is broken and I'm in no position to immobilize Klaus…"

"We might be able to pressure him into it…" I abruptly cut in as I put two and two together.

"Bingo." Bonnie deadpanned. "That's also the reason I urged him to bring Stefan. If Damon will listen to anyone, it would be his brother. No to mention, Stefan and you are pretty close… And as messed up as it is, he and Klaus have a past as well."

"Yes, Stefan being there will probably be a good thing…" I agreed. "He cares… In fact, he was the one calling me this morning to give me the heads up when he found out what his brother was about to do..."

Bonnie smiled in pleasant surprise as I told her this. "That sure was nice of him… And all the more reason to drag him into this."

"If I'm willing to work with you after what you did." I not so nonchalantly reminded her that I had all but forgotten about the little stunt she'd tried to pull.

She sighed, putting her bag down on the kitchen table with a loud thud. "I really am sorry, Caroline. No matter what kind of person Klaus is, it was unfair to you for me to do this. I acted on an impulse, hoping for some peace to return to this messed up town... But I think that our plan B is a better way to make that happen."

"No more tricks?" I asked; I needed her to affirm it one last time.

"No more tricks."

I couldn't detect a false note as she replicated my statement, and I very much hoped that my intuition wasn't letting me down this time.

"Fine…" I reluctantly gave in, knowing that there weren't many other options left anyway. "So, what happens next?"

"Well… I presume that you'll go back to the mansion now… If it's alright with you, I'll meet you there around six." Was Bonnies proposal. "That should give us enough time to reverse the spell before Damon shows up."

"It sounds like a decent plan, I guess…" I had to admit.

Bonnie gave me a reassuring smile. "We will make this work… I'll see you at six. No tricks, no games. I promise, Caroline."

My modest answering smile was sending out a message that said 'I'll-go-with-it-but-we're-nowhere-near-cool-yet'.

"So… In the meantime, I suppose it's up to me to break the plan to someone who I figure won't be so easily convinced of your good intentions." I said grimly. "Not after I fill him in on what happened..."

-xxx-

"The witch tried to do what!" Klaus yelled, outraged. "Well isn't that just fantastic!"

We were in his study, and I had just told him all about the whole Bonnie-versus-Damon issue. He randomly kicked the solid mahogany desk, sending it crashing into the wall without even trying. There was a time when this would've terrified me, but right now I tiredly watched him as I waited for him to come back down from his temper tantrum. Even if he would tear this entire place down, I could count on him to not harm a hair on my head, a thought that made his fury a lot less intimidating.

"Easy, Nik. Don't take it out on the furniture. If you want to get mad, get mad at me. Blame it on my serious lack of judgment, it was stupid of me to trust her without thinking twice." I volunteered.

He put in some effort to straighten his face as he stopped pacing the room and looked at me. "You were trusting someone whom you believed to be a loyal friend. You always see the best in people, Caroline… To be honest, a part of me is grateful for that, otherwise this never would've been possible to begin with." He gestured between the two of us as he said 'this'.

I cracked a wistful smile at his unintentional compliment. "Regardless, I should've thought it through."

He sighed as he casually sat down on the edge of the ravaged desk, almost acting like he had nothing to do with the fact that it was far from intact.

"Doesn't matter, love. What's done is done…" He said stiffly, the muscles in his jaw tensing. "But you can't just expect me to trust the Bennett witch after this. You're asking me to welcome her into my house and let her undo the spell… To put all of our lives in her hands, when it's anyone's guess what she is up to this time."

I was ready to come up with some kickass arguments, when there was a small tap on the door. Elijah stepped into the room, probably lured in by the serene sound of Klaus demolishing a desk.

"Is everything alright here?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at his brother.

Klaus let out an empty laugh. "Simply wonderful. It appears that the Bennett witch tried to betray us."

"I know, Niklaus." Elijah said with a small nod, confessing that he'd been eavesdropping.

"Oh yes, I forgot. There's no such thing as privacy in this house." Klaus complained, glowering at his brother. "I reckon that means that you've also heard that Caroline wants me to let her in here, so that she can undo the spell, whereas I prefer that the witch doesn't get anywhere near me, since there's no proof that she won't lead us into yet another trap."

"Please…" I sighed. "I've told you, she wants to help us… Why else would she put her life at risk by walking into a house packed with lethal vampires, when she so easily could've done the spell back at my house? She won't try to frame you again, Nik. She doesn't want to see me get hurt, that's why she couldn't go through with it in the first place."

"Caroline does have a valid argument there. Had the witch truly wanted to go through with it, she would've done so when the chance was there." Elijah surprised me by siding with me, instead of his brother. "And when keeping in mind the current state of things, I trust you can see that it wouldn't hurt to have the witch on our side."

Klaus had a hard time deciding whether to scowl at his older brother or to scowl at me, his eyes petulantly flicking between me and Elijah.

"Team up on me, why don't you." He snapped peevishly.

"The last time I checked, we were all on the same team. We all have the same goal, Nik. Keeping you alive!" I countered, not backing down.

"Touché." Elijah murmured, observing me with an expression that seemingly held a tiny hint of awe.

A brooding silence was heavy in the air as Klaus' eyes kept darting from Elijah to me, and back again.

"Alright, fine." He eventually said, low voice, eyes sharp. "We're all doomed anyway, aren't we? Bring on the witch… And I won't even address the whole negotiating-with-Damon-Salvatore matter until she has successfully reversed that bloody spell…"

-xxx-

An hour after my heated discussion with Klaus, I found myself at the stables. I was taking a walk to escape the house for a little while as we all waited for Bonnie to come over. That was to say; If she was going to make good on her promise.

To be honest, it wasn't that I needed a break from the Original family. Quite the opposite… I wanted to give them a break from me. Or more specific; From my restless, neurotic behavior. Surprisingly, none of them had openly complained when I had moved around the living room resembling a turkey on Christmas eve, but I suspected that my overprotective boyfriend had everything to do with their high tolerance.

I lazily strolled past the numerous horses, coming to a halt when I recognized Dawn. I smiled at the marvelous white horse. She neighed softly when I extended my hand to rub her velvety nose.

"Hey Dawn… Do you remember me? It's Caroline, Nik's friend." I murmured quietly as I caressed the side of her head. She leaned in to my touch, loving the attention that I gave her.

"Did you say friend, sweetheart?" I nearly jumped up when I suddenly heard his gentle voice, coming from right behind me. "I thought that you and I were way past the whole friendship-status."

I swirled around. He was flashing me a cheeky grin that was enough to make my knees feel weak.

I smirked back at him. "Yes well, I didn't want to make her jealous. She's a very sensitive horse, you know." I said in a mock conspiratorially tone.

He chuckled as he came to stand beside me, appreciatively looking at how my hand was affectionately petting Dawn's forehead.

"Yes… Caroline and I have come a long way, Dawn… I so clearly recall the time when she repelled the mere idea of becoming my friend." He said, a tad melancholically.

One of his arms slipped around my waist, pulling me into his side as he glanced down at me, giving me a meaningful look. I eagerly dropped my head to his shoulder, nuzzling my nose against the crook of his neck, leaving a feather light kiss on his skin.

"Yeah… But that was a long time ago, Nik." I said jokingly.

He snickered. "My perception of time may be a lot different from yours, love, but I don't think that it was quite that long."

"Perhaps not… But so much has happened since then… It feels like another lifetime." I murmured.

I turned around in his embrace, wrapping my arms around his neck and resting my chin on his shoulder. Remarkably enough, he had quickly gotten accustomed to this thing called 'cuddling', and to the fact that it was something that girls liked to do with the guy they loved, even at times when there was no valid motivation behind it.

Time became an irrelevant factor as we simply stood like that, both unspeaking. I listened to his steady breathing, feeling how his chest was evenly rising and falling against mine.

"Caroline?" He breathed my name at some point.

"Hmm?"

"No matter where things go from here… I love you, you mustn't ever forget that." He declared out of the blue.

"I know that… I love you, too." I mumbled against his shoulder, a bit confused as to why he was so serious all of the sudden.

"Good… Because if anything happens to me…" He began, but didn't get a chance to finish that thought, because I now understood where he was going with this.

I jerked away, backing out of his arms, the goal being that I could fully face him while giving him the most massive glare in the history of massive glares.

"Nothing is going to happen to you, Nik. We've been over this… You're freaking invincible! You'd better be!" I gravely communicated, putting my hands on both sides of his face.

A sour look was what I got for interrupting him. "You're not letting me finish, sweetheart…" He said exasperatedly.

"Because you're talking nonsense!" I stubbornly exclaimed.

At that he pulled out his stop-talking-now-or-stuff-will-get-serious look, and I hastily locked my lips when I realized that I had interrupted him a second time.

"Are you listening now, sweetheart?" He checked, warningly lifting an eyebrow at me.

I gritted my teeth. "If you're going to tell me something that actually makes sense, yes, I'm listening."

"Caroline…" The way my name sounded whenever it fell from his lips would never get old. "I sincerely plan on sticking around for at least a thousand more years, but if something prevents me from doing so, whether it is my mother, or the Salvatores… The last thing I would want is for you to spend the rest of your life in misery. Even if things don't turn out the way we want them to, you will still have a long, beautiful life ahead of you. And you have to promise me that you will make the most of it, with or without me."

I shook my head, my hands leaving his face to instead hold on to his upper arms. "No. You've already made me a promise, Nik. You swore that you wouldn't let me down. Not ever."

"And I intend to keep my promise, love. But as much as I hate to admit this out loud, there are things that even I can't control." He said darkly.

"Doesn't matter…" I whispered as I threw my arms around him again, hugging my body impossibly close to his. "I'm not letting you die, Nik." My lips were next to his ear now.

A heavy silence was all I got in return, until it was interrupted by the way-too-cheerful ringtone that blasted out of my cellphone. I detached myself from him to take the call, and inhaled deeply when I saw that it was Bonnie calling.

"Hello?" I answered, keeping it neutral.

"Hey. I'm on my way, I'll be at the mansion in five minutes." She announced. "Is everything prepared?"

I shortly glanced up at Klaus, who was nodding at me in confirmation.

"Yes… Blood samples, grimoire… Everything you need." I replied.

"Good. I'll see you soon."

"Yes, see you in five." I mumbled.

I hung up, and found that he was frowning at me.

"Let's give our guest a warm welcome then, shall we, love?" He asked mockingly, placing his hand on the small of my back.

I bit my lip, nodding slowly. "Yes, show time. Let's find out if she's willing and able to undo your mother's pesky spell..."


	34. Deleted Scene: Jealousy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deleted scene from Klaus' POV.

Rip his pathetic, obnoxious head off. That was what I wanted, no needed, to do to the Lockwood boy. Right this instant. It would hardly count as a 'pointless killing', as Caroline called it, because the boy was practically begging me to finish him off. I noted how he casually draped his arm around her, his face slightly cocky as he possessively pulled her closer to him. As if he wanted to let whoever dared to glance in their direction know that this delightful creature was all his. How satisfying it would be to get him alone and tear his limbs from his body, one by one.

The rage that was building up in my chest was unlike anything I'd ever felt in my thousand years. With me having experienced my fair share of rage and anger, that sure was saying something. Perhaps it was the lack of fresh human blood running through my veins, but I highly suspected that for the most part, it had to do with her.

She was smiling as she interacted with her little group of friends. A smile that effortlessly lit up every corner of the gloomy diner. A smile that, as of late, she was starting to show me more and more frequently. Sadly, at this moment that smile was meant for him. I clenched my jaw, silently cursing myself for coming here to begin with.

What did I expect to find here? When I'd found out that she was going to be here tonight to celebrate that traitorous hybrid's return, I had made the rash decision to go to this cheap excuse for a restaurant named 'The Mystic Grill' as well. I had dragged Rebekah along, and she had immediately realized what this was all about the minute Caroline had stepped into the room. Thankfully, my sister was making the best of it, gulping down drink after drink, and having deep conversations with the bartender.

Oh, for the love of all things holy… What was I even doing here? Torturing myself, was what I was doing here. Torturing myself as I witnessed how the boy leaned towards her, whispering something in her ear. It made me want to snap his neck, right here in this room packed with humans. I had given the boy the gift of eternal life, and I could take it away just as easily…

But she would despise me. For the rest of all eternity. She would never talk to me again if I hurt the boy. And the same applied to every single person that was sitting at that table with her. Never would she give me that smile again if I harmed any of her friends. It was the only thing keeping me from ending the boy once and for all. I groaned inwardly.

Or maybe I'd actually expressed my misery out loud, for Rebekah turned to me, reprimanding me by shaking her head. "You're being horrendously pathetic, Nik. You know that, right?" She remarked matter-of-factly.

"Why don't you mind your own business, Bekah." Was my snappy response to her rhetorical question.

"In case you have forgotten, it was you, asking me to come along." She smugly returned, raising her elegant eyebrows at me.

The sound of Caroline's laugh was what kept me from giving my sister a snarky comeback, and Rebekah merely shrugged before she went back to fluttering her eyelashes at the unsuspecting bartender.

Her laugh… How I loved to hear her laugh like that. Even more so when I was the one responsible for her sounds of joy. But that wasn't the case right now. Her laughter was directed at her friends. Most of them she'd known her entire life, and she felt safe and comfortable around them. I doubted if she would ever feel that way around me, despite me trying to give in to her wishes. Then again, this was where she belonged, wasn't it? With her friends, who were the same mental and physical age as she was. With her friends, with whom she'd shared all the traumatic experiences that she'd already been through at her young age.

I noticed how she was anxiously fidgeting in her chair. It was out of the question that she could feel my eyes on her, watching her every move. Without a doubt it was making her uncomfortable. She was deliberately not looking in my direction. She didn't want me here. She wanted to be with her friends, people she could trust.

The return of her beloved boyfriend had changed everything. Our deal was moot. I could now see that her attempt to connect with me had come to an end the second he had walked back into her life.

Without contemplating any further, I snatched my phone out of my pocket, sending her a message to let her know that she was off the hook. To tell her that there was no need for her to put any more energy into the lost cause that she undoubtedly believed me to be.

I rushed out of the diner, without giving my half-drunk sister a second glance. I could take a hint. It was time that I stopped fooling myself…


	35. Undoing the Evil

I hastened to the front door, hoping that I was in time to let Bonnie in. That way, I could put her at ease before she would be faced with no less than four Originals. Inconveniently enough, when I reached the door I found out that someone else was already welcoming her in… That someone else being Kol.

"Well hello there, please tell me that you're here to see me." He drawled, looking Bonnie up and down as he royally gestured for her to come in.

I rolled my eyes when I witnessed his lame attempt at flirting with my friend. "She's here to save your ass, but I'm fairly sure that it ends there." I cut in, not giving Bonnie a chance to react to Klaus' annoying younger brother.

His head snapped in my direction, and he feigned a pout. "Pity." He curtly said, shrugging as he departed, leaving me in the gigantic hallway with Bonnie.

"Hey… Thanks for coming." I said, smiling tentatively at her.

"I said I would be here…" She answered quietly.

"Now where have I heard that before?" I muttered sarcastically, reminding her that she had said something very similar earlier today.

"You have to trust me, Caroline." She responded calmly. "I promised no tricks, and I meant it."

"I sure hope you do. I'd rather not find out what it feels like to be tricked by your best friend twice in one day." I bluntly blurted out, unable to help myself.

I noticed how Bonnie's eyes were suddenly growing wider, but I soon grasped that it had little to do with my blunt comment, seeing as I heard his appealing voice echoing down the hallway.

"Bonnie Bennett. How nice of you to come. Hopefully I won't regret letting you into my house." He said briskly as he came to stand at my side, resting his hand on my lower back while his eyes pierced into Bonnie's.

"I made Caroline a promise, I'm not going to break it." She coldly answered, not letting his hostility get to her.

"Let's hope you won't, for my sake and yours." Klaus retorted. "Shall we get to business?"

Bonnie's dark brown eyes searched mine, our gazes connecting for the briefest moment before she refocused on Klaus. "Yes. Let's get it over with…"

-xxx-

Five candles placed in a circle on a small wooden table, a few drops of blood from each of the Mikaelson children in the center of the circle, and an ancient spell book; Everything was set up in Klaus' study. Bonnie was studying the grimoire, and she was being watched by the impatient eyes of four Originals while doing so.

"How long do you suppose this will take?" Rebekah questioned, disdainfully pursing her lips at Bonnie.

Bonnie looked up from the grimoire to fire a scowl at the blonde she-devil, but no vocal reply came with her death glare.

"Patience, Rebekah. I imagine that this will be a lot easier for her if we offer her a chance to concentrate." Elijah was the one reproaching his sister.

"Or we could simply threaten her loved ones. That ought to motivate her." Kol added slickly.

Klaus' forehead was puckered, and he absentmindedly rubbed his temples as he glanced at his bickering siblings.

"As lovely as that sounds, Kol, I suggest we save that for in case she's trying to frame us." His words were aimed at his brother, but his penetrating stare was now directed at Bonnie.

Up until now I had wisely stayed out of the discussion at hand, silently surveying how Bonnie prepared herself to break the spell while being under the watchful eye of four bad-tempered Original vampires… But I knew my friend well enough to sense that the pressure that they were putting on her wasn't helping. At all. They were making it pretty much impossible for her to even focus on the grimoire for longer than two minutes.

"It would help if we gave her some space." I hinted in general from where I was leaning against the smashed mahogany desk that Klaus hadn't yet bothered to move out of the room.

Bonnie said nothing, but shot me a thankful smile. As opposed to Klaus, who sent me a look that was highly skeptical.

Again it was Elijah coming to my rescue; I was slowly starting to understand why Elena had a soft spot for him.

"Precisely. She needs to concentrate. She won't be able to do that with us breathing down her neck. We should give her some room, otherwise this isn't going to work." He stated unyieldingly.

"Fine with me." Rebekah snapped.

She had been standing right in front of Bonnie the whole time, her arms crossed in front of her chest. It was a miracle that she had succeeded at keeping herself from restlessly tapping her foot against the floor while she waited for the magic to happen.

"This is starting to bore me anyway." She muttered, turning on her heels and flicking her long hair over her shoulder as she stalked out of the room.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'd like to see how she works her magic." Kol said, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows, smirking down at Bonnie who was altogether ignoring him.

"Kol." Klaus barked his brother's name, tone irritated. "Leave, please."

Kol narrowed his eyes at him. "Always so set on ruining my fun, aren't you, Nik?"

Klaus didn't even respond to that, at which Kol rolled his eyes in defeat, grouchily rushing after his sister.

Elijah hesitantly moved to the door, tilting his head at Klaus. "Are you coming, Niklaus? I'm sure Caroline doesn't mind staying with her friend…"

"Tempting, but no. I'll leave this room when hell freezes over. Quite frankly, I'd prefer for you to stay around as well." Klaus told his brother.

"I won't be far." Elijah ensured him.

They exchanged a short glimpse, soundlessly communicating something, after which Elijah left the room.

"Nik…" I began cautiously.

"Oh no, not a chance, sweetheart. You can't honestly blame me for wanting to keep an eye on her after she tried to plan my demise." He cut me off in a final tone.

"It's fine." Bonnie called unexpectedly, interrupting our little argument. "Some silence would be very much appreciated though." She added, brow furrowed as she went over the complicated incantation.

"Of course." I agreed right away, slumping back against the desk.

Klaus never stopped pacing the study, but he did refrain from spitting out any more spiteful remarks. Bonnie was still engrossed in the pages of the grimoire, one of her fingers gliding over the old parchment as she tried to make sense of the unlinking spell.

"Alright…" She finally muttered. "I think I'm ready to try…"

Klaus' head flew up at her announcement, and he halted in the middle of the room, his eyes suspiciously monitoring Bonnie.

Her body was slightly shaking as she slowly breathed in and out. A shiver ran up my spine; Somehow the air always seemed to be charged with a strange sort of electricity whenever magic was involved. Bonnie's eyes fluttered closed, and an endless string of foreign words started to fall from her mouth.

"Phasmatos Ex Solves, Exis Pa Unas Animotos. Phasmatos Di Conjunctos, Sol Facto Dos Male…"

Klaus watched her closely as she chanted. I shrugged away from the desk, standing up, nervously wrapping my arms around myself as I too, followed her every move. The light that was projected by the candles glowed brighter now, illuminating the dimly lit study.

"Phasmatos Ex Solves, Exis Pa Unas Animotos, Di Conjuncto…"

She pronounced more unfamiliar words, and I was praying to god that she was using those words to do what we needed her to do, for I had no clue what they meant…

And then my ears registered the muffled noise that was coming from the door that led to the hallway. It opened with a soft 'click'. I half expected Kol to barge in, going against his brother's wishes, but I didn't even get an opportunity to check it out...

Only a second passed as Klaus' face twisted into a mask of horror, but it seemed like an age. Bonnie's chanting faded out as she turned to me as well, her features freezing. It was then that I felt a couple of icy fingers clasp around my upper arm. Not much later, a wooden stake was pressed against my chest, right over the place where my undead heart was supposed to be.

"I suggest you stop whatever it is you're doing, witch… I want you to listen closely to what I have to say. And I recommend for you to do the same, Niklaus."

Esther. The sound of her voice beside my ear raised goose bumps on my skin. Her hold on me tightened, and the wooden object in her hand was scraping against the silk material of the blue dress that her son had bought me. For the second time in one week, I was confronted with that frustrating feeling of not being able to move.

"Mother…" Klaus growled through clenched teeth. "Let her go."

We were all distracted when the door burst open a second time, revealing Elijah and Kol. Rebekah was right behind her brothers. I tried to take advantage of Esther's temporary state of distraction and struggled against her, but I was weakened by that darn spell that she was using on me.

"Mother?" Rebekah uttered in shock.

"Stay right there!" Esther warned her children.

Elijah froze in the doorway, instinctively holding up his arm to keep his younger siblings behind him as he weighed the situation.

"Do not make one wrong move, or I will be forced to kill the girl." She spoke with menace, holding up the stake to empower her threat.

"Leave her out of this! You let her go now, and that's not a request." Klaus was practically snarling at his mother now.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Niklaus." She said stiffly. "Furthermore, I'm not here to negotiate with you."

"Then what is it you want?" He snapped, his blazing blue orbs glaring ferociously at her.

She didn't answer him. Instead she looked to Bonnie, whose eyes were narrowing as the Original witch addressed her. "Bonnie Bennett… Again we cross paths. However you'll find that this time, you will be considerably more willing to work with me, instead of against me."

Esther touched the stake to my chest again, causing Klaus to produce a low growl.

Bonnie swallowed visibly, her lips curving into a grimace.

"You see, I do admire you. You're quite the powerful witch." Esther proceeded. "If only you would use that power for a good cause, instead of messing with nature's balance by siding with evil."

"I'm not siding with anyone." Bonnie corrected surprisingly firm, jutting out her chin.

Esther made a mocking sound. "Well you do now. You will be siding with me, for obvious reasons."

Her chokehold on me became even more suffocating as she said this, causing me to yelp.

Bonnie helplessly looked at me for a long moment, before she reluctantly surrendered. "Fine. What do you want from me?" She asked spikily.

"That's better... You are proving yourself to be a very useful hostage, Caroline Forbes." I heard Esther mumble right next to my ear.

There were over a million snide retorts that I would've loved to hurl at this despicable woman, but I knew that it would only make things worse. Klaus, on the other hand, had more trouble containing his rage.

"I swear if you hurt her, you won't live to tell the tale! I killed you once, I'll gladly do it again!" He hissed at her.

"Save it, Niklaus. You and I both know that you are in no position to threaten me." She tauntingly pointed out.

"Let's all take a moment to think this through, shall we? There are other ways..." Elijah's calm voice held a certain authority, the way it usually did, but it was wasted on Esther.

"I think not, Elijah." She responded dismissively as her eyes went back to Bonnie, who was motionlessly standing beside the grimoire.

Klaus was still determined to have the last word, even though it was pointless. "You will be so very sorry, mother."

She ignored him as she took a step towards Bonnie, roughly pulling me with her. "Now, Bonnie… I've done my research, and I believe that within now and one hour, we will be provided with a white oak stake…"

Bonnie glowered at her. "Damon's coming over here because we plan to call a truce, not start a war."

"Irrelevant. We will be sticking to my plan now... But before Mr. Salvatore arrives with the weapon I need, we will have to ensure that it won't be too difficult for us to put that stake right where it belongs." She briefly glanced back at Klaus.

I could see the struggle behind his cold eyes. He was giving it his all to keep himself from doing something reckless. Like pouncing on his mother.

"The two of us may not be strong enough to eliminate my children, but together, we can put them into a temporary sleep. And once the Salvatores get here, we will make sure that this temporary sleep turns into an eternal one. After all, you didn't manage to break the linking spell yet… It only takes one stake." Esther elaborated, using a tone like she was talking to a five year old as she explained to Bonnie what she was about to do.

"No! You can't do this, mother!" Rebekah exclaimed in a high-pitched voice.

"No one should be allowed to live for a thousand years, Rebekah." Esther simply replied, ruefully smiling at her daughter.

I didn't miss the tears that were forming in Rebekah's wide blue eyes. Rebekah, who usually was so tough… But her mother's betrayal was hurting her, immensely so.

"Then perhaps, you should've considered that before you turned us into vampires." Kol spat, resting his hand on his sister's shoulder in a comforting way.

There was a short silence, and I gratefully used it to plead with my friend.

"Don't do it, Bonnie." I choked out, begging her with my eyes. "Don't… Let him die."

"How can you even defend him? How can you defend a creature this evil?" Esther scornfully huffed at me. "I've been watching you, Caroline. You're one to represent the good, not the bad…" She added, seeming genuinely confused.

I groaned as the stake poked through the thin fabric of my dress, scratching my skin. "You of all people have no right to criticize him… You failed to be a decent mother, and you have stopped caring for this so-called evil that is your son a long time ago! As far as I'm concerned, this 'evil' is my responsibility now! And you should just… Step back." I made sure that she could hear the quotation marks as I used the word 'evil'.

Klaus was staring at me, awestruck, his eyes lighting up for everyone to see. And then he did something incredibly stupid. He strode forward, set on attacking the witch that was his mother. She acted immediately… I screamed as the point of the stake broke into my skin. Blood started to drip from the cut, coloring the blue dress a disturbing shade of purple. I gulped as the pain caught up with me.

"No!" He rasped.

"Then step back, Niklaus." Esther commanded.

He bared his fangs at her, but did comply, aversively taking a step backwards. Esther pretended that nothing had happened, her eyes finding Bonnie again.

"Now Bonnie… In order to put an end to all this, we will need a small amount of blood from each of my children… Which conveniently enough, is already taken care of." She said, a hint of smugness lacing her tone. "All we need now, is the right spell."

She nodded at the grimoire, and the pages started flipping without her even touching the book. When it ended, the book was showing a dusty, yellow page filled with words that were rather blurry.

"Read the incantation, Bonnie. I will join you…" Esther instructed. "The power of two witches will suffice to perform the spell."

"No…" I heard myself sputter, the ache in my chest making it hard to think straight, seeing as she was still holding the stake directly against the wound.

My eyes were seeking out his eyes, and they stared back at me in utter terror. The normally sparkling blue was dull and lifeless. My heart nearly broke at the sight. In fact, my aching heart was competing with the ache that the stake was currently causing in my chest. I averted my head, unable to look him in the eye any longer.

"Now, Bonnie!" Esther urged.

Bonnie's lower lip was trembling as she bent over the grimoire. I whimpered as she started chanting.

"Caroline…" Klaus called my name, ignoring how his mother began to replicate the words that Bonnie was humming. "Look at me, sweetheart. I need you to do something for me… I need you to be brave… Can you do that for me?"

My head swayed to one side when I tried to shake it. "No, Nik… Don't say that…" I whispered.

I lazily gazed up into his eyes as the stinging pain in my chest tried to pull me under. The candles were lighting up again, bathing the room in a bright orange. I could hear Bonnie, still chanting. I could hear Esther, chanting with her while still maintaining her steady grasp on me. There were the petrified faces of Elijah, Kol and Rebekah, the three of them frozen at the entrance of the study….

But in the end, all I could do was look at him. His desperate eyes were overflowing with guilt and remorse as they held mine. The candles were flickering violently now, and the chanting grew louder…

The last sight that was effectively etched into my mind before a radiant flash of light blinded me, was the hollow look in Klaus' eyes... And then there was nothing but brightness, shutting out every dreadful aspect of the scenario that I was currently taking part in. Shutting out him. I clenched my jaw, rigidly closing my eyes as tears started to pour out…


	36. A Witch's Power

When I forced myself to open my eyes again, there was light. So much light. Light was all I could see. The throbbing ache in my chest was all I could feel, and it became unbearable as she drove the stake even deeper into my flesh. Mere inches were separating the wood from my heart now… Yet at the same time, his fate was what I truly cared about. My eyes were starting to hurt due to the overload of brightness.

After what seemed an eternity, the light became less prominent. But wasn't that some sort of unwritten law? Every light, no matter how bright, had to fade eventually… My vision was blurred, and I blinked to clear my watery eyes.

Once I was able to see again, I was presented with the sight that I'd expected never to witness again. The sight of him, his anxious eyes still looking at me. He was very much awake. Awake and healthy.

"Nik..." I gasped.

As soon as I sighed his name, many things were happening simultaneously. Too many things for my foggy brain to keep up…

I suddenly perceived that the stake was no longer pressing against the aching cut on my chest. Instead, I felt how Esther's hold on me loosened. She staggered behind me, and before I could do so much as turn to investigate what was going on, I saw Kol speeding in my direction. The youngest Original wasn't aiming for me; His target was his mother. Without hesitating he knocked her to the ground. I wasn't sure when Elijah had crossed the room, but when I gazed behind me I saw that he was helping Kol, pinning his mother against the marble floor of the study. She made a gurgling sound as her eyes slowly closed.

Both the pain and the shock were causing me to sway on my feet, but the fear and hurt were soon replaced with the most comforting feeling in the world... The safest feeling that I would ever know. The feeling of his arms, holding me up to keep me from collapsing. My trembling fingers were automatically anchoring themselves to his broad shoulders.

"Shht, it's alright, sweetheart. You're safe now." He cooed softly, kissing my hair as he pulled me closer.

His heedful blue eyes were looking down at his mother's lifeless body. His brothers were slowly letting go of her, and from the corner of my eye I noticed that Rebekah joined us as well.

"Oh my god…" She breathed as she came to stand beside us. "What on earth just happened?" Her tone was relieved above all, mixed with a hint of confusion.

My shuddering body shifted in Klaus' arms, so that I could get sight of Bonnie. She was staring at us, lips slightly parted. Her hands were leaning on the grimoire, as if she was supporting herself.

"Bonnie?" I questioned weakly. "Is she…"

"Yes… She's gone." Bonnie answered, a little out of breath.

"But… What did you do?" I asked, staring at her.

Her hands were slowly sliding from the old spell book, and she cracked a smile that was imperceptible, but unmistakably there. "Nothing."

"What, you're saying she dropped dead on her own accord?" Kol asked, frowning at her.

Bonnie shook her head. "No… Just as I said, it's because I did nothing."

"I'm afraid I'm not keeping up." Elijah said in his ever polite tone, arching an eyebrow at Bonnie.

"Yes, do explain." Klaus pressed lightly.

He was still holding me to him, arms tightly wrapped around me as if he expected me to mysteriously disappear the second he let go of me. The warmth of his body was what kept me calm, numbing the pain that was spreading from the gruesome cut that his mother had left on me. One of his hands was soothingly stroking my damp hair from my face.

"Do you remember that night when Grams and I performed that spell to put the seal back on the tomb?" Bonnie asked out of nowhere, speaking to me now.

"Of course…" I whispered. "It was the night that she…" I didn't finish my sentence, vividly remembering how heartbroken Bonnie had been when her grandmother had passed away.

Her grandmother, who had been her mentor and her guide.

A flicker of grief flashed across her dark eyes, but she nodded. "Yes… She used all of her power. More power than she could handle… I told you that a witch can channel another witch's energy, and I could easily sense that Esther's energy was all but used up. That's why she needed my power; She knew that she would never be able to do this spell on her own..."

"So, what are you saying?" Rebekah prompted.

Bonnie's eyes shortly darted from me to Klaus' sister before she spoke in general again, clarifying herself. "At the very end of the spell, I pulled back. By withdrawing my power, I practically forced her to use all of hers. I'm sure that near the end, she realized what I was doing… But by then it was far too late, and she knew that this was most likely her last shot at success. She was desperate, and so she did what I hoped she would… She gave it her all. She gave more than she could handle…"

"Wow…" Was the genius response that I came up with. "That's just… Thank you."

"I owed you one, Caroline." She simply stated. "I promised that I wouldn't betray you again, and I would be a lousy friend if I hadn't kept that promise."

I was positively astonished when Klaus reluctantly followed my example, gruffly but sincerely offering Bonnie his word of thanks. "Yes… I believe I should be thanking you, Bonnie."

He got a small nod from her, but her face was vacant. "Just helping out my friend... Which reminds me, I promised something else as well… I still have another spell to complete." She murmured, her eyes slyly wandering over the four Originals.

"And we have something else that we need to take care of…" Elijah cocked his head at his mother's body.

"We'll move her to one of the coffins in the basement, so that she can join her beloved Finn… And let's not forget that the Salvatores will be arriving soon. Let's get going, shall we." Klaus commanded.

I faintly noted how Bonnie was going through the pages of the grimoire again, searching for the unlinking spell, and how Elijah and Kol occupied themselves with transporting the body. I think I heard Kol mumble something about always getting the 'dirty jobs'. I briefly wondered if this truly was the end of the Original witch, but for now, it seemed that she was out of the game for a long period of time. The non-existent sadness of the Originals at their mother's dead was kind of bizarre to me… On second thought, this woman had tried to kill them. Twice.

As for me; I was plagued by dizziness, and the nagging ache in my chest was beginning to make me nauseous. On top of that I was exhausted, because I had been awake for about two days straight. If it weren't for him supporting me, I already would've been on my way to an unwanted encounter with the floor.

"Rebekah." Klaus called upon his sister, who questioningly raised her eyebrows at him. "Please make sure that Caroline makes it to my room. She needs to get some rest, and she can get changed if she wants to."

"Oh, come on! You can't be serious, Nik." Rebekah protested incredulously.

"Oh, but I am. You know as well as anyone that I'm not the joking type, Bekah." He mocked her.

"This is unbelievable." She grumbled.

"Don't mind her attitude." He whispered in my ear.

"What… Wait!" I objected, my voice breaking against my will. "Damon and Stefan are going to be here within now and thirty minutes! I can't just… Go."

"Yes, you can, love. We will handle things from here. Right now, I need you to get some rest." He persisted.

He was using a spell of his own, namely his eyes. There would never be any need for him to compel me anymore, because those eyes were plenty to get the job done. Aside from that, I couldn't deny that I did feel extremely worn out. Maybe five minutes of rest wouldn't be such a bad idea… Assuming that I lasted five minutes before I would get restless and go right back downstairs to find out what was going on.

He tenderly kissed my jaw, then handed me over to his sister, who was pulling a sour face. I awkwardly held on to her arm without making any more physical contact than absolutely necessary.

"Alright, let's go." She said impatiently, glowering sideways at Klaus. "Before my bossy brother throws a fit…"

-xxx-

The awkwardness continued as we made the short trip to Klaus' room. The instant I let myself sink down onto the edge of his bed, I released Rebekah's arm.

"You can manage from here, I'm sure." She said, her mouth set into that pout that seemed permanently plastered to her full lips.

"Yes… Thank you." I muttered.

She was about to leave the room, when I impulsively called her back.

"Rebekah?"

She paused in the doorway, gracefully turning on the doorstep so that she was facing me.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for… You know…" I began.

She characteristically lifted her eyebrows at me. "Do I? I'm a vampire, not a psychic, Caroline."

I sighed, folding my hands in my lap. "Look, I don't know what kept you from attacking your mother when she was threatening to stake me… Or why Elijah and Kol were keeping themselves from doing anything rash. I mean, I know that you and I aren't exactly best friends… But thank you."

She let out a hollow snort, rolling her eyes at me. "Oh please... Do you really believe that my brother would just stand by and watch if any of us made whatever move to put your life in jeopardy? He would never have allowed it... Our mother would've loved that, though. Divide and conquer, you see. Because as much as I hate to say this, my brother is utterly blind and reckless when it comes to anything involving you…"

I chewed my lip, clasping my fingers together as a silence filled the room. Rebekah didn't leave after answering my question, like I'd predicted she would. She was watching me, her usually composed face slipping a tiny amount as she regarded me. She caught me off guard when she hesitantly made her way back to the bed. She sat down to my left, on the very edge, keeping a comfortable distance.

"You know, a thousand years is an awful lot of time, Caroline. Why is beyond me, but it appears that you're the first person in centuries who actually got him to care… I'm having some difficulties accepting that a young, small-town girl such as yourself is affecting my brother this way, but I can't deny that you're bringing out the small splinters of humanity that he has left…" Her admission was quiet but solid.

I gawked at her, speechless. This was something I hadn't seen coming. She didn't seem to mind my unintelligent response though, for she continued as if I wasn't gaping at her like an idiot.

"I love my brother, regardless of what he's become over the centuries. I stayed with him through it all, because he does show me some slivers of humanity every once so often. I know that he's capable of caring, and I must confess, part of me will forever be clinging to the time when we were all still a family... When Nik was still human… He was a different person back then, and oddly enough, he's starting to show an increasing amount of fractions of that person ever since you came along." She appeared to be deep in thought when I dared to sneak a look at her.

"He sure has changed, hasn't he…" I couldn't do anything other than agree, since it was the undeniable truth.

Rebekah tilted her head to glance at me, her lips curving into something that might have been a wry smile. "Let's say that I wouldn't volunteer to spend another thousand years around him if he had lost you because of something I did. None of us would. Nik is walking on thin ice here… You're the first person other than his family that he truly trusts. The first person in a thousand years. God knows what he'll do if he loses you…"

"He won't." I interrupted. "Not if it's up to me."

There was a ghost of a smirk around her lips now. "Good. You should bear in mind that you're probably in this for life. Something tells me that Nik isn't going to let go of you that easily…"

"I know... And I don't want him to." I resolutely replied.

"Time will tell, I suppose. Being around Nik can become challenging sometimes… My brother has got a problem for every solution." She said, getting up from the bed.

I laughed shallowly. "So I figured."

Rebekah's eyes looked back to me one last time as she strode out of his room. "Lucky for you then, that you aren't afraid of a challenge…"

With that she was gone. I pursed my lips, shaking my head at the surreal conversation that I'd just shared with none other than Klaus' bitchy sister. Granted, if Klaus truly planned on keeping me around forever, it would be less complicated if my relationship with his sister moved out of the I-want-to-tear-your-hair-out zone.

My hands were instinctively reaching for the bloody mess that was my chest, and when I gazed down I could see that the wound was already healing. Oh, the perks of being a vampire. Not like it changed the fact that I was entirely spent…

About now, I should be taking a shower and changing into some decent clothes… But I could afford myself two minutes of rest, couldn't I? I fell back onto his fabulous bed, my head resting against the soft pillows. My unhelpful eyelids began drooping as soon as my back made contact with the dark silky sheets. I tried to fight it… I tried to keep myself from slipping away. To no avail. It wasn't long before my body traded pain for comfort, and my brain relished dreams that were filled with him…

-xxx-

I woke up with a start, as if my unconscious mind was scolding me for falling asleep while there were so many other crucial things that needed my attention. I opened my tired eyes, sitting up with a jolt. One glimpse at the window told me that I couldn't have been asleep for too long; It was still light outside.

My eyes strayed to the bedside table. Eight thirty, the alarm clock said. A blood bag was resting on the nightstand as well, and I groaned in annoyance. Klaus had been here to check on me, but he obviously hadn't bothered to wake me up.

"Stupid Original traitor." My hoarse voice uttered crankily at the deserted bedroom.

I crawled out of the bed, my feet a bit wobbly as I tried to stand up. Initially, I had fully intended to go downstairs without getting sidetracked, but the red liquid that was staring at me from inside the translucent bag was seriously tempting…

With a huff I fell back onto the bed, seeing as I was excessively thirsty. It took me no time at all to finish the bag of AB positive, and I got up to my feet again, skipping out of the room. I stood still in the center of the hallway, giving my sensitive hearing a chance to concentrate on what was going on in the mansion.

There was a faint noise coming from the dining room. The sound of voices. I walked down the ridiculously large marble staircase, following my ears. I shuffled the shiny floors of the entrance hall, coming to a stop in front of the door that led to the dining room. I placed my hand on the handle, listening in before actually opening it… Needless to say, Klaus and his siblings were all present, but they weren't alone…

I could effortlessly pick out Stefan's voice, and it also wasn't a problem to recognize the ever sarcastic tone that inevitably came with Damon's voice.

After sucking in a deep breath, I pushed down the handle. This was going to be uncomfortable, not to mention plain weird. The door opened with a cracking sound, and every head in the room turned to stare at me.

Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, Kol, Stefan and Damon; All of them were gathered at the large, rectangular table in the middle of the room. The left side of the table was taken up by the Mikaelsons, and the Salvatores were sitting on the opposite side. Damon's facial features were nearly shouting the words 'I want to be anywhere but here', but with four Originals that possessed a strength and speed that he would never be able to match, he hardly had a choice. Especially now that he didn't have Bonnie's magic to back him up…

Apparently she had taken off after completing the spell and convincing them to negotiate, and I couldn't blame her. She had done her part, and I could only imagine that she had been more than eager to escape the mansion once her presence had no longer been required.

"Ah, another player to join our team." Kol was the one to break the silence, grinning deviously at me.

"Kol…" Elijah cautioned lowly.

Klaus paid them no mind, shooting me a worried look, his eyebrows knitting together in disapproval because I evidently wasn't resting like he had ordered me to. Both Stefan and Damon were staring warily at me, and way too late I realized that I still hadn't showered or changed, seeing as my appearance had been the last thing on my mind when I'd woken up.

"Caroline…" Stefan sounded somewhat alarmed. "Are you alright?"

I nodded at him, smiling at his concern.

"Really, Blondie? You look like hell. Not like that's a shocker, considering the fact that you're dating it." Was Damon's warm welcome.

Naturally, he had to throw one of his witty one-liners at me. I rolled my eyes at him, which was also the moment I noticed that he was mindlessly toying with a stake that he was holding between his long fingers. A white oak stake, no doubt about it. The very stake that he had planned to use to put an end to the enemy that was now sitting right across from him.

"I'd prefer for you not to talk to her like that." Klaus sneered without thinking, his cool eyes shooting ice at Damon. "She looks stunning… She always does."

I held up a hand as he unnecessarily defended my honor.

"Don't bother, Nik. He's right, I do look like crap." I tiredly countered, earning myself a snicker from Damon.

"Honestly, are we here to discuss Caroline's outfit?" Rebekah asked in irritation.

"I hope not…" I switched to my most casual tone, as if it would ever be enough to compensate the reality of the far-from-casual get-together that was going on here. "So, tell me… What did I miss?"


	37. Deleted Scene: Torture

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Deleted scene from Klaus' POV.

Pure torture, this was. I gazed down at the sleeping blonde girl on my bed, her breathing uncommonly heavy. Her eyelids were trembling, her small body restless. I had been unable to keep myself from checking on her. After the witch had completed the spell, I had rushed to my room without a second thought. I had to see how she was doing before the ever annoying Salvatores showed up, current affairs be damned.

My Caroline, battered and bruised. Purple marks were covering her arms where my mother's careless hands had held her in place. The now dried blood that covered her chest was nearly black... Needless to say, it would heal. Quickly at that, for as fragile as she seemed in this moment, she was a vampire. Nonetheless, seeing her like this made my cold, dead insides turn. Not in the last place because this was my fault. Not directly, of course. My detestable mother was the actual cause…

But I feared that this was how things were going to be from now on; The countless enemies that I'd made over the centuries using my newfound weakness to get to me… Using my most precious possession as a bargaining chip.

I had to admit that she was tough, my girl. Her strength seemed to be limitless; One of the many traits that I admired about her... Over the past weeks she had told me quite a lot about herself... One of the things she had shared was how her own father had tortured her. I'd been rather astonished at her revelation, considering that I'd once told her that her relationship with her father hardly could've been more complicated than mine had been... I had obviously been wrong there. So very wrong.

I dejectedly shook my head as I sat down on the edge of the bed, placing the blood bag that I'd brought on the nightstand. Ensuring her fast recovery was the least that I could do for her. How badly I wished that I could've prevented this. How desperately I hoped that nothing would ever cause her pain again. She had already suffered too much, as far as I was concerned…

It had to end. I would do whatever I possibly could to keep her out of the warzone. I had to. Even if that meant that it would have to start with peace, something I rarely ever opted for. Usually, I was all for fighting fire with fire. Violence was the easy path. It was all I'd ever known. Retreating was a sign of weakness. A truce meant surrendering and giving up. Being weak.

But not in this particular scenario… A truce wouldn't mean giving up. On the contrary; A truce would mean a shot at a long, beautiful life with the girl who had managed to unfreeze my frigid heart. The girl who had made me feel. The girl who was willing to sacrifice her entire existence to be with someone like me. To fix a man who wasn't even worthy of her kindness and affection…

Wouldn't it only be fair for me to offer the same in return? To put aside my own beliefs, if that was what was best for her? Even if it meant calling things even with Damon and Stefan Salvatore…

She stuttered a sigh, her delicate hands clutching to the sheets as she turned to rest on her side. I gently brushed her cheek with the back of my hand, and she immediately relaxed at my simple touch.

"Why do you even trust me that much, you silly girl..." I murmured, ever astounded at her illogical reactions to me.

She winced a little at the loss of contact when my hand left her warm, soft skin. Yes, we had clearly moved past the point where I doubted that she wanted me, and me alone. We were also far past the point where I wondered if my fascination for her was going to last forever. Because it would, I was fervently convinced that it would.

There was a soft knock on the door. My head snapped up, and Elijah was standing in the doorway, looking at me with a rather apologetic expression on his grave face.

"They're here, Niklaus." He announced quietly.

I cleared my throat and nodded at my older brother. "I'll be right down…"

He left without a sound. I pressed one last kiss against her forehead before I forced myself to get up from the bed and leave her side.

"You sleep, sweetheart…" I whispered. "You sleep, and I will attempt to arrange that you can have the carefree life that you deserve…"


	38. For The Love of a Girl

I wasn't too proud to own up to it; I did feel a bit lost, standing in front of a room full of vampires who were more than prepared to rip each other's insides out. In addition to being in the presence of six hostile vampires, I currently looked like the main character in a tacky horror movie who had recently survived the lethal attack of some serial killer.

Fortunately for me, Klaus' newfound determination to come to my rescue at any given time and place -even when it was mere embarrassment from which I needed saving- came in handy. His eyes were still showing a glimmer of disapproval as he got up from the table with an inaudible sigh, but he humored me.

"Please have a seat, love." He pulled back his chair, gesturing for me to sit down.

I gladly complied, no hesitation, making my way to where he was standing. He was giving me an encouraging smile now, trying to fuel my confidence, which was more than a bit shaken after this distressing day. Damon's mocking eyes were following my every step, and his face displayed wholehearted disgust as Klaus gently placed his hand on my shoulder. He gave me soft, reassuring nudge as I sat down in the chair. His chair. Klaus shot a glance at Kol, who occupied the seat beside me, and his younger brother rolled his eyes but did move to the vacant chair to his left. Rebekah was on my other side, and Elijah was sitting next to his sister.

Klaus casually fell into the chair to my left, placing his elbows on the table and resting his chin on his folded hands.

"So… Where were we?" He asked nonchalantly, feigning a deeply interested look as he addressed Damon and Stefan.

"Oh, I don't know…" Damon pretended to be deep in thought for a second, demonstratively tapping his chin. "Ah, right! I believe we were at the part where we're never going to reach an agreement because I don't trust any of you."

Stefan slipped his brother an exasperated look, but didn't comment. Unlike Klaus, who was quick to respond.

"Don't be like that, Damon. If you have no intentions of coming to any sort of understanding, I don't see what's keeping me from ripping your heart out right this instant." He said in that unnervingly calm tone that he seemed to reserve for conversations such as this one. "After all, you and your stakes are a threat that I'm more than eager to rule out."

"Or we could rip your head off instead." Kol added smugly. "Take your pick, while you still can."

I turned my head just in time to see how he daringly raised his eyebrows at Damon.

"Oh, but I know what's keeping you from doing it." Stefan stated, his eyes knowingly drifting from Klaus to me.

Klaus glowered at Stefan, but didn't dismiss his statement.

"Sure, it's all because of Blondie's charm. Thanks to her, all of the sudden he's planning to go all good guy on us!" Damon said skeptically. "Who's buying that anyway? Because I sure as hell am not."

"She has a name. It's Caroline." Klaus retorted. The tones of yellow in his eyes were dominating the shades of blue as he glared at Damon. "And as much as I want to keep her happy by sparing you lot, my patience only goes so far."

I sighed tiredly; My heavy head was in no mood for their loud verbal attacks. "Can we please skip the bickering?" I spoke in general, but my eyes were focused on Klaus.

I wasn't even upset with myself as it occurred to me how I was slowly starting to appreciate the hints of gold that his eyes were showing whenever he was passionate about something, whether it was a positive thing or a negative thing. Or how his fury always seemed to make his handsome face stand out even more. No! This is so not the right moment to be lusting after him! I inwardly chastised myself.

I discarded my inappropriate thoughts, but didn't miss how Klaus' casual pose had transformed into a rigid one. His body was tense, and his fists were forming tight balls under the table. I tentatively rested my hand over one of his, prying his fist open with my fingers. When he realized what I was doing his hand relaxed ever so slightly, giving me a chance to lace my fingers through his. My thumb caressed the palm of his hand, which was my flimsy attempt at calming him down.

Elijah cleared his throat in a rather irritated way. "I fail to see how this meeting is going to be of any use if none of us are going to act like adults. If we're here to exchange threats, I'd say we waste no more energy and call it quits."

"I'm with Elijah on this one. " Rebekah supported him. "Can we get to the point? It has been quite the day, and honestly, in the past few hours I've already heard enough meaningless chitchat to last me a lifetime."

There was a substantial silence as more death glares were thrown back and forth, mainly between Damon and Klaus.

"Alright… Why don't you start by telling us what your offer is." Stefan unexpectedly said, addressing all four Originals, but Klaus in particular.

"What!" Damon sputtered at his brother in protest.

Stefan shrugged. "Let's hear them out… Fastest way to get it over with." He hinted, giving his brother a small nod.

Damon groaned, dropping the stake that he'd been playing with onto the table in front of him, and holding up his hands. "Fine. Why don't we waste another hour of our existence listening to their proposition, while we pretend that it could possibly change my mind."

"Perhaps if you tried to listen with an open mind, it could." Stefan calmly suggested.

"Oh come on, Stefan! Will you hear yourself talk!" He replied disbelievingly.

"Are you boys done?" Klaus urged them, getting impatient.

Damon sent him a hefty glare before answering. "Sure… Why don't you tell us all about that offer that we can't refuse." He snapped sarcastically, his light blue eyes gliding to our side of the table.

"Fantastic! Actually, it is a fairly simple concept…" Klaus began, matching Damon's burning stare with one of his own. "You hand over the stakes, all of them, and in return I will leave all of you in peace. All of you, including the doppelganger."

"And so will the rest of our family." Elijah added curtly.

"Unless you give us a legit reason to act otherwise." Rebekah had to slip that in.

During the minute that passed, Damon gaped at Klaus. And then he burst out in laughter, as if someone had just told a hilarious joke.

"Something funny?" Kol fired at him. "Care to share?"

Damon came back to his senses, shaking his head at all of them. "No, it's not funny at all. Not even remotely funny. More like sad. Although I have to admit, that for a minute you had me fooled… I was actually convinced that you were going to come up with a believable offer."

Klaus gave a new meaning to the phrase 'if looks could kill' as he responded to Damon's unusual reaction. "I'll have you know that I'm exceedingly serious, Damon. Either we can keep throwing mud at each other for another couple of decades, or we can decide to call it even."

"Oh please!" Damon exclaimed snidely. "Why would we ever fall for that! You're obsessed with Elena's blood!"

"Sometimes, one has to lose something in order to gain something." Klaus countered. "So unless you enjoy this never-ending game of tag, I'd say it would be wise for you to take my offer into consideration… Then again, it seems that the two of you don't mind being stuck in the endless in-between. At least, not when it comes to Elena Gilbert. Tell me, has she made her choice yet?" He tauntingly finished, provoking Damon.

Damon growled. "I really don't see how that's relevant here. If there's one thing that Stefan and I agree on, it's that Elena's safety goes above all, no matter who she chooses."

"We do..." Stefan confirmed. "Which is why this is an interesting offer. Apparently Klaus is offering to make do without her blood, giving her a chance to live a long, healthy life." He unnecessarily summarized, cocking an eyebrow at his brother.

"And we have to take his word for it!" Damon replied cynically.

"Niklaus may be many things, but my brother is a man who's known to keep his word." Elijah intervened severely.

Klaus smiled graciously at his brother before he turned back to Damon. "That I am. Also, I trust that, like Stefan, you can see that you and I have the same goal here, Damon…"

"Actually… No, I don't." Damon interjected brusquely.

"Oh come on, Damon! Even you can't be that blind!" Rebekah was the one interrupting now, sounding prickly. "You want a safe, carefree life for the girl you love, and Nik wants the same for the girl he loves."

Damon eyed her with that same type of disgust that he had radiated earlier, when Klaus had openly showed a shimmer of the affection that he felt towards me. "Really, Rebekah? Love? Your brother wouldn't recognize love if it slapped him in the face with a white oak stake! He doesn't even know the meaning of the word love!"

"Yes, he does! He loves me, Damon… Whether you believe it or not. Whether I believe it or not." I defensively blurted out the words, just like that, not giving Klaus or anyone else an opening to react.

And it was too late to regret them. Too late to take them back. Not that I wanted to. As far as I could see, this was the truth. Klaus' hand was squeezing mine under the table, and he glanced to the side, his eyes holding the smallest sparkle as his gaze collided with mine.

His expression hardened again when he looked at Damon, but his stiff nod indicated that he agreed with what I'd blabbed out. "My main priority is for Caroline to be happy... And to my sincere honor and astonishment, it so happens that I am what she needs in order to be content."

Damon shook his head, holding up his hands again. "I'm not even going to reply to that."

An uncomfortable amount of time passed. Klaus was scowling at Damon, and I heard how Kol heaved a sigh that was representing his evident boredom.

"Aren't you?" Stefan all of the sudden challenged his brother, giving him a long, calculating look before he proceeded. "Because I, for one, think that he's telling the truth. We have every reason to doubt his good intentions, but you can't deny what's going on here, Damon. Even Bonnie couldn't deny it..."

"Right." Damon snorted…" Just because judge-y Bonnie is suffering from temporary insanity, doesn't mean that I have to join her!"

"You're right, you don't. But she's not alone… I also believe that we could make this work. Elena would be safe…" Stefan returned calmly.

"How can we ever trust her to be safe? We will always have to be on our guard as long as he's lurking around!" Damon said, referring to Klaus.

"I will leave this godforsaken town, if that's what you need." Klaus waved off that particular argument.

"As will all of us. If you turn in the stakes, there is nothing keeping us here." Elijah reminded Damon.

Damon seemed mystified now. "Wait what? That makes no sense… You people are claiming that this is all about Blon-" He corrected himself at Klaus' scowl. "Caroline, but at the same time he has no problem bailing on her by moving to god knows where? Wow, that makes a convincing case, right there!"

"You don't get it, Damon." I quietly explained. "If he decides to leave, I'll go with him."

"You'll leave? With him?" He questioned incredulously, his eyes swiftly travelling over the faces in the room, as if prompting any of them to confess that this was all one huge practical joke.

I merely nodded while my teeth were bothering my bottom lip.

"Alright, that's it!" Damon uttered. "Am I the only one here who's having trouble accepting the sheer possibility of this absurd conversation?"

"On the off chance that you've forgotten who you're talking to; I have no interest whatsoever in either earning your acceptance or your blessing." Klaus' tone clarified that this discussion was closed. "In fact, I'm being generous by making you this offer... With the witch no longer on your side, you're in no position to take me on. Or any of us."

Damon's smug look was sending out the message 'challenge accepted'.

"Ah, would you like to try and prove my brother wrong?" Kol asked eagerly as he picked up on it, already on his way to get up from his chair. "You had to go and bring your stake, so come on, mate! Why don't you give it your best shot?"

"Is that a dare, I hear?" Damon rejoined.

"Honestly Kol!" Rebekah snipped. "Your immature behavior isn't helping at all."

Kol shrugged, lazily grinning at his sister. "He's not planning to cooperate anyway, Bekah. Might as well have some fun."

"How about you shut your mouth, if nothing useful comes out of it." Klaus retorted tiredly, cutting off his squabbling siblings.

"So that's it then? We're all going to agree to disagree?" Stefan asked, brow raised.

"No, we're not… The two of you are going to discuss the deal that I'm willing to make. Have a sleep on it. Discuss it with the doppelganger if you must, because this mostly concerns her future. But whatever you do, don't be too quick to turn it down." Klaus said gravely, addressing both Salvatores. "And as a token of my good intentions, I even am willing to throw in a peace offering, so to speak." He added, the corners of his mouth creeping towards a smirk.

He got up from the table, releasing my hand, and I bewilderedly glanced up at him. His answering smile was mildly reassuring, but I still had no clue what he was talking about.

"Going to find your white flag?" Damon mocked.

Klaus altogether ignored his remark. "If you would excuse me for a second."

A light breeze was the only sign that he had rushed out of the room, and I casted my eyes to the right, aiming my puzzled stare at Rebekah and Elijah… Both of them were looking as clueless as I felt, therefore being of no help. My state of confusion didn't last long though. His return was as sudden as his departure had been, and once he was at my side again, he threw something onto the table with a loud smack, right under Damon's nose.

A blood bag. I frowned, at first assuming that this was some kind of misplaced joke. Damon must've thought the same; He was too surprised to even come up with a clever comment. Stefan was mimicking my heavy frown.

"Alright… That's nice of you, but I'm not really that thirsty." Stefan said as his eyes shortly landed on the object in front of him.

"What he said." Damon had found his voice again, and he smiled cockily at Klaus. "For your information, we have an entire fridge full of that stuff at home. So keep it."

"I beg to differ." Klaus responded with certainty. "This isn't ordinary blood. This is Elena Gilbert's blood. Or, to be more accurate; This is my very last supply of the doppelganger's blood."

Damon's eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets. As were Stefan's. As were mine.

"Drink it, get rid of it, put it on a pedestal…" Klaus listed leisurely. "Do with it whatever you wish, because I'm fairly sure that I won't be needing it anymore from now on…"

-xxx-

A gloomy silence consumed the dining room. Elijah, Klaus and I were the only ones left. After Klaus had pressingly requested Stefan and Damon one last time to give his offer some serious thought, Rebekah had left with both brothers to show them to the door. In other words; She wanted to make sure that they were going to leave the Mikaelson mansion without any funny business. Kol had left shortly after, seeing as he had been more than fed up with the unproductive meeting that was behind us now.

Elijah had been outstandingly silent during the tumultuous negotiation, and right now he was pensively staring at the brother I suspected he both loved and hated.

"Something bothering you, Elijah?" Klaus asked him as he shoved back his chair and got up.

Elijah got up as well, closely observing Klaus. "I wouldn't use the word 'bothering'… But I think I need to go see someone." He mused.

"That someone being?" Klaus probed.

I was the last one to get up from the table as I curiously awaited the answer that Elijah was going to give him.

"I'd say that it's time for me to have a little chat with Elena." It was an announcement, not a suggestion. "Preferably before the Salvatores do."

Klaus grimaced as he supportively placed a hand on my waist. "Then I would say that it's likely going to be a wasted effort, brother."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that… If anyone understands the importance of reaching compromises, it's Elena Gilbert. Besides, she may not trust you, but she has grown to trust me. I think it could be worth a try." Elijah disagreed. "We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain."

The contemplating gaze that Klaus gave his brother was nowhere near optimistic, but he did budge eventually. "Suit yourself then. Go talk to the doppelganger if you believe that it could make a difference."

"Elijah might be right, Nik…" I said quietly. "I know Elena… She does trust Elijah… And if anyone can give Damon that small push that may be enough to persuade him, it's her."

"Which is precisely the reason that I'm going to see her. Right now, while I can still tell her our side of the story without Damon influencing her." Elijah stated in a definite manner as he strode in the direction of the door.

"Elijah…" He abruptly halted when Klaus called his name. "Do watch your back… There are several stakes out there, and we can't know if Damon hasn't handed out a few to some of his friends."

"I will, Niklaus. This shouldn't take long." He answered confidently before exiting the room.

As soon as we were alone, I produced a sigh that changed into an irritated groan when my eyes randomly fell on my ruined dress. "I seriously need to do something about this." I huffed.

Klaus chuckled, spinning me around in his arms. "Don't bother. I can look past it, sweetheart."

I lightly slapped his chest, teasingly replicating his accent as I mocked his earlier statement. "She looks stunning, she always does."

He glared playfully at me, his blue eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Liar." I accused with a smirk. "Nevertheless… I'm proud of you."

That threw him, and his lips twisted into a befuddled half-pout that was simply adorable. "Are you now? Because our meeting with the Salvatores didn't go all too well, if you ask me. To be honest, I'd say that the result was rather disappointing..."

I couldn't argue with that, but I ignored his pessimism, smiling warmly at him as I recalled how he had voluntarily handed over Elena's blood in an attempt to prove his point to Damon and Stefan. I firmly locked him in my embrace, feeling how his arms were welcoming me.

"So maybe it was a bit disappointing… But you weren't, Nik." I whispered right below his ear. "You definitely weren't."


	39. The Right Choice

Klaus had been determined to stay downstairs, to wait for Elijah to return, but at the same time he had insisted that I needed to go and get some sleep.

A much needed warm shower did wash away all of the dried blood, but sadly it only erased a tiny, insignificant part of my worries. The gaping cut on my chest was nearly healed, as if it had never been there to begin with. Vampires were fast healers… On the outside, at least. Our raging emotions were a whole other story.

After finding a towel, my new mission was to hunt down something comfortable to wear. Conveniently, that magical walk-in closet of his held a little bit of everything. There was no need to look far; I quickly stumbled upon a tank top and some pajama pants in my size. He sure had thought of everything. I got dressed, realizing that I was abnormally tired. I had no clue whether a vampire could even feel the effects of sleep deprivation or not, but I had to admit that I was starting to feel a little woozy.

I was swerving slightly as I shuffled back into his bedroom. With a thankful sigh I let myself fall onto his bed. My body needed sleep. Lots of sleep. But my brain had other plans… My mind kept replaying this horrendous day, over and over again. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Bonnie... Esther... Damon... As much as I wanted to shut everything out, there were too many thoughts that I was unable to shed.

My shock refused to wear off. An overdose of adrenaline was still running through my veins. I tossed and turned, ending up on my side, wide awake as I unseeingly stared at the door. When it opened with a low cracking noise, I blinked at the unexpected movement. When he entered the room, his eyes were the first thing that I really noticed. Strangely, his eyes always were the first thing to catch my attention, despite the fact that he was blessed with numerous other alluring aspects. His smile, his messy blonde hair, the way he melted me with that accent that I loved to mock… Or the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the universe. The only person in this world that truly mattered. The list went on and on… With every day that passed, it was getting harder for me to see how anyone could hate him. Even when a little voice in the back of my head was reminding me that he rarely showed those tender and caring qualities to anyone other than me.

"Hi there…" He murmured.

His light eyes were soft, and his voice was equally gentle.

"Hey…" I whispered, smiling up at him.

His mere presence was enough to lift my spirits. He sat down on the edge of the bed, his hand covering mine as I curiously glanced up at him.

"Elijah had quite an interesting chat with your friend." He answered the unspoken question that had been eating me for some time now. "It turns out that she isn't as unwilling to cooperate as Damon Salvatore was… Not after my brother explained to her what happened today."

"Really?" I asked hopefully, checking to make sure that my cloudy brain wasn't playing tricks on me.

"Yes, really. She wants what most of us are aiming for at the moment… Some peace and quiet." He explained, tenderly stroking the back of my hand. "Elijah even convinced her to talk Damon into going along with the deal. She will discuss it with him, first thing in the morning."

"Wow… That's great… Remind me to thank her for that." I said, feeling some relief as I sat up in the spacious bed.

"Did you even try to get some sleep?" Klaus scolded mildly.

"Yes." I defended myself, looking down at our intertwined hands, my fingers playing with his. "It's just… My stupid brain won't shut up. I keep rewinding everything that happened today. I can't help it, Nik."

"I see…" He uttered, unexpectedly taking me into his arms and planting a kiss on the top of my head. "I think I know what you need, sweetheart."

"You do, huh?" I dryly replied, mumbling against his shoulder.

"Yes. A bit of fresh air will do you good." He let go of me as he stated this, so that he could take a better look at my face.

I blinked dazedly at him as I drowned in the blue of his eyes. "Oh…"

His answer had sort of caught me by surprise. I had a dark suspicion that the blame for that could be placed on Tyler; Whenever my former boyfriend had talked about distractions, or about taking my mind off of things, the best thing that he could come up with usually had been something involving sexual activities.

Klaus smirked at me, getting up and taking my hand to make me get up as well. "Come on, sunshine. Let's go for a walk." He encouraged cheerfully.

I all but giggled at the little nickname he used on me. "But it's almost midnight!"

He barked a laugh at that. "Your light will suffice to illuminate the sky. And seeing as you can't sleep anyway, I'd say that the current time of day is irrelevant. There are some silly human habits that you can make do without, love. You're a vampire, for heaven's sake! Start acting like one." He teased me.

"Life advice, as told by the badass hybrid." I mumbled inaudibly.

"What was that?" He questioned as he subtly tugged at my hand to lead me out of his room.

"That was me making fun of you." I confessed with a snort as I followed him.

"Aren't you a doll?" He halfheartedly tossed a glare at me as he led me into the hallway, then down the stairs.

When he guided me out of the backdoor, I had to confess that he had been right; The coolness of the midnight air was something else. I inhaled appreciatively as he closed the door behind us. He was still holding on to my hand as we walked down the porch steps, maneuvering me in the direction of the back yard. For a few minutes we walked in companionable silence, the both of us lazily strolling towards the very lake where we had once shared our first real kiss.

I was gradually relaxing, cheering up at the sight of something other than the inside of the mansion.

"This was a fairly good plan." I commented, grinning at him.

"Naturally, love. My plans usually are." He responded smugly, giving me a delightful grin in return.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Aren't you modest."

"Never have I claimed to be modest, sweetheart." He was still smirking as we stopped at the edge of the lake.

The view was spectacular; The ink black water was completely still, reflecting both moon and stars, like a spotless mirror. To my own irritation, I kind of ruined the moment when I clumsily sat down on the damp grass, letting out a too loud laugh that I was certain qualified as 'uncool'. However, it appeared that my sheepish giggle wasn't bothering him in the slightest, because he gazed down at me with eyes that were filled with nothing but admiration. He sat down with me, sinking to the floor as well, albeit ten times more graceful than the way in which I had let myself fall to the ground. He sat close enough for our sides to touch, and the warmth that he radiated was definitely nice. Some time passed as we silently enjoyed our tranquil surroundings.

I purposelessly reached out to touch the icy water, and the smooth surface was no longer when my fingertips smudged the perfect painting of the sky that it had been displaying.

"So… You truly wouldn't mind coming away with me?" Out of the blue he ended the silence, bringing up the words that I'd thrown at Damon tonight.

I could feel his eyes on me, and so I readjusted myself to meet them, angling myself towards him.

"Yes, I would come with you… You already knew that." I answered, somewhat offended. "When are you finally going to get that I'm not leaving you?"

He sighed as he rested his hand on my knee, his fingers softly brushing my kneecap. "I do get it, Caroline… But this is where you belong… Where your friends are. Where your family is… Your entire life is here, in Mystic Falls…" He summed up.

"And there is no law that says that I can't visit them every once in a while." I cut in.

"Then what about your education? You were always so set on graduating..." His eyes squinted as he observed my reaction to that.

"I still am. But I don't necessarily have to do that here in Mystic Falls." I dismissed his argument. "Besides, there's no rush… I have an eternity to graduate."

His lips were forming a tight line as he considered that.

"You promised me that you were going to show me the world… You'd better not break your promise, my mind is made up, Nik."

"I know, love. Still, it would bother me… Knowing that I am the reason for you being separated from everything that is important to you."

"You shouldn't dwell on that… If I want to come with you, that's my choice." I stubbornly lifted my chin. "And honestly, it would bother me, if I had to live without this…" I murmured, leaning in until our noses were touching.

That shut him up. My lips searched his, and as I closed my eyes I felt how his hand supported the side of my neck while he kissed me back with a passion. My arms were draping themselves around his neck, firmly crushing him to me. His lips became more urgent, and at some point I lost my balance, toppling backwards and taking him with me. The wet grass soaked my back, seeping through the thin material of my blue tank top, but I barely noticed. All I could feel was how his lips deliciously brushed against mine as he hovered over me. He was keeping himself from crushing me with his weight; Never mind that I was a vampire, and thus not quite that delicate…

But that seemed to be his way… Always being careful, at least when it came to me. Treating me like I was something precious and breakable. A soft moan escaped me as he kissed a trail down my jaw, his hot breath gradually moving on to the side of my neck, and then my throat. One of his hands was tangled in the hair at the nape of my neck, rubbing small circles into my skin. I still held on to him as if my very life depended on it, trying to pull him impossibly closer to me.

He got even more enthusiastic, and I whimpered when his talented mouth halted at my pulse point, cautiously nipping at my skin, making sure to not leave one of his fatal bites on me. Always being careful. I felt his teeth making contact with my throat, but they never actually broke my skin. Always being careful. Not even the smallest flicker of doubt crossed my mind as his fangs lightly scraped across my sensitive skin.

I should've felt guilty when entertaining the thought that I had never felt this safe with Tyler. Or this loved. If I were to be honest with myself; Tyler would've had me naked by now. Once again I had to face the facts; My relationship with Tyler had above all been a physical affaire. The friends-with-benefits kind of relationship. He had been there for me when I was going through a rough time, and vice versa… But that wasn't passion… This was. And although everyone claimed that Klaus was the wrong guy, I was one hundred percent convinced that he was the right choice.

My hands gently tugged at his tousled hair to bring his face level with mine again, my lips hungrily tracking down his again. His bright blue eyes were nearly lighting up in the dark, filled with the occasional fleck of warm orange, which I had learned over time implied that he was content. He didn't deny me, pressing his full lips flush against mine again.

"Nik…" I gasped his name, and he saw his chance to deepen our kiss.

His tongue briefly explored my lips before actually invading my mouth, and I hummed with pleasure when I finally had him where I wanted him. My sense of time had gone out of the window, and I was unable to tell how long the kiss lasted. Nor did I care. It would never be long enough.

I whimpered in protest when he shortly broke free, but soon switched tactics when it occurred to me that this was my chance to hint that there was something else that I wanted…

"I want you, Nik." I whispered, longingly gazing into the liquid pools of blue that never failed to make me weak in the stomach. "Please."

He chuckled, and a gush of warm air blew against my lips. "Then maybe we should take it to my room, sweetheart." He said, humor in his eyes. "You may or may not remember that there also are other people living here…"

-xxx-

Four am. By now, I should've been fast asleep. Not in the last place because I was pretty positive that the bags underneath my tired eyes were going to make me look like a raccoon in the morning. And I had tried. After he had given me everything I had asked him for -and admittedly a little extra on top of that- my mind had been very much distracted. I had felt loads better… Until the point where I had tried to close my eyes and drift to sleep. Whenever I was about to slip into unconsciousness, my sleep drunk mind taunted me by flashing me a picture of Esther's face… The malice in her eyes as she had forced Bonnie to help her with that fatal spell... The barely seeable smile tugging at her lips as she talked about putting a stake through his chest.

I noisily sighed, shifting from one side to the other for the umpteenth time. He was sound asleep beside me, and I paused my pondering to savor the view. To my displeasure, my annoying brain was once again drawing parallels between him and Tyler, noting that there was also a major difference when it came to the exterior. Don't get me wrong, Tyler was a good-looking guy... But good-looking wasn't a strong enough word to describe Klaus. He wasn't good looking. Or even handsome. Gorgeous was a more accurate term…

I scooted to his side of the bed, placing my head on his chest and curling up against his side. I had to stop worrying… I had to give it a rest, because after everything we had been through, he was still here… Even his witch of a mother hadn't been powerful enough to take him down. Freaking indestructible. I had to let go of my fears, otherwise I was going to drive myself insane. He could handle himself. And in case he couldn't, he would have his family to help him. He would have me to help him.

Another unsteady sigh left my lips as I loosely rested one of my hands on his chest.

"You're still not sleeping, are you, sweetheart?" There was a jolt in my stomach as he suddenly spoke.

"I woke you… I'm sorry." I muttered apologetically.

"No need to apologize, you silly girl." He answered, roughly rubbing his eyes. "Although it would be healthier if you tried to close those marvelous eyes of yours for a couple of hours."

"Then perhaps you could help me…" I said timidly.

He slyly glimpsed down at me, a small grin creeping up his face. "Correct me if I'm wrong, love, but I think I've already tried about almost everything to get you knocked out."

"Not everything…" I tentatively countered.

His thoughtful frown accentuated the dimples that I adored. "You know that I can't mess with your head until you're actually asleep, Caroline." He said, assuming that I was referring to that blissful dream that he had once given me to chase away my nightmares.

"I know… But you could order me to go to sleep." I momentarily averted my gaze as I made my suggestion.

When I looked back at him again, he groaned, casting his eyes at the ceiling. "Please, love... I think we both know that the last time I did something like that, it didn't work out too well for either of us."

I placed a hand on his cheek, getting him to look at me. "Because you took away my free will… But this time, I'm asking you, Nik."

He disapprovingly shook his head at me. "You are unbelievable, Caroline Forbes."

"And you could do me a huge favor by making this everlasting day finally come to an end, Niklaus Mikaelson." I threw back at him, copying the same tone that he had used.

We stared each other down until he made a sound that was rather frustrated. He didn't seem too excited about granting my request, but surprisingly he did cave in the end.

"Funny, isn't it? How I can't seem to refuse you anything." He murmured, obviously defeated.

He got up slowly, supporting himself by resting on his elbows, and I let go of him, positioning my head on my own pillow again. There was a visible amount of conflict in his eyes as he tenderly smoothed out my hair. I gazed up into his eyes as he leaned closer to me, black pupils widening in the sea of blue.

"Sleep, my sweet Caroline. Sleep in peace until you're fully rested." His low voice was enchanting -almost musical- as my eyelids drooped. The feeling of his lips pressing against my forehead was the last sensation that I was aware of before falling into a deep, calm slumber…

-xxx-

When waking up, I was seriously disorientated. My muzzy brain was distinctly showing me some memories of bright and happy dreams. Dreams that I suspected I hadn't come up with on my own. I untangled myself from the satin sheets as I scanned the room. There was no sign of him, but the sunlight that was peeking through the windows was filling the space that he'd left behind.

I slid out of the bed, my eyes falling on a sheet of paper that was on the night stand. I unfolded it, and smiled when I read the handwritten message that he'd left me.

'Good morning, sweetheart. No need to worry, I'm never far…'

Two short sentences; Plenty to send me into marshmallow-mode. I was still smiling goofily when I noticed my phone, also lying on the petite rectangular table. How it had gotten there was a mystery to me; I couldn't even recall when I'd last used it. Klaus had probably found it somewhere and returned it to me.

I grabbed the small device, and the screen showed me that I had three missed calls. When I saw that it was Elena who had tried to contact me, I decided that it would be wise to call her back right away. I was about to do just that, when the phone started buzzing, the sound of my ringtone making me jump.

'Elena Gilbert calling.' The caller ID said.

"Gosh, that was easy." I mumbled to myself before answering her call.

"Elena, hi… What's up?" I went with a neutral approach as I picked up the phone.

I had been holding my breath, but for a change, my friend's reply didn't consist of any negative news. Unlike what I had expected, she wasn't calling me to share yet another nerve-racking announcement. Instead, her proclamation provided me with a tiny sparkle of hope...

"Hey, Care. Nothing much… Except that I tried to make Damon see the light, and I think that he might be willing to hand over the stakes…"


	40. Light and Dark

The call between me and Elena was a short one. I didn't feel like discussing this over the phone, and apparently Elena shared the sentiment, because she proposed to have lunch at the Grill. Assumedly, she was also a follower of the skip-school-schedule that I'd been sticking to for the past few days. I had eagerly accepted her invitation. Not strictly because I was curious to find out how she had managed to persuade Damon, but also to hear her take on her exchange with Elijah. Last but not least; I hadn't really talked to my closest friend in what felt like a lifetime. After half a week of anxiety and suspense, I was craving some girl time.

When hanging up, I decided to make another call. I needed to have a serious talk with my mom. Last night I had sent her a text to let her know that I was fine, and to tell her that I would be staying over at the Mikaelson residence, but I felt guilty because I was obviously shutting her out. For the most part, it hadn't been entirely my fault, but it still felt wrong. Not to mention, it was time for my mom and I to have a serious talk of truth... I had to let her know about everything that was currently going on in my life, especially since I was truthfully prepared to leave this town and let Klaus take me on a trip around the globe. Without second guessing.

She sounded weary but relieved when she picked up her phone.

"Hey sweetie. How are you? Is everything alright?" She immediately flooded me with questions.

"Yes mom, I'm fine. I'm at Nik's…" I was getting better at making it sound casual without feeling all self-conscious about it.

"Yes, I got your message… But what was that you mentioned about having a rough day yesterday? Did something happen, Caroline?" Sheriff Forbes wasn't nearly done with the inquisition.

"A lot of things happened actually…" I said under my breath. "But I'm alright, really. Look, I need to talk to you, mom… Are you off early today?" I asked.

"If nothing comes up, yes. Not that you can ever count on that in this town." She replied tiredly.

I snorted glumly, knowing perfectly well what she meant. "Well let's assume, for the moment, that nothing will come up for once. I'll make us some dinner tonight… And I'll fill you in on some important stuff that I think you need to hear... Serious stuff..." My tone became a pitch too high towards the end of my sentence.

"You do realize that you saying things like that makes me think that you're in trouble, right?" Was her worried response.

I sighed. "I'm not in trouble, mom. I told you… I'm fine, please don't break your head over it. I'll see you tonight, alright?"

"Okay, fine… Just… Take care, sweetie."

"I will, mom. Promise. I'll see you soon." I muttered before hanging up.

I threw my phone onto his bed with a hefty sight. Wonderful. This was going to be one nasty dinner date. Period.

-xxx-

I got ready to take on another -hopefully uneventful- day, swiftly brushing my hair and picking out one of the more everyday outfits that he had purchased on my behalf.

When I looked decent enough, I stalked off to the kitchen. My stomach was in need of some food, as well as some blood.

All was calm when I cruised the mansion, and when I cautiously poked my head around the kitchen door, I was welcomed by the sight of Klaus. He was sitting at the kitchen table, his back to me, staring at his laptop in concentration. Moments like these were scarce, for he would always remain an old fashioned guy, and he usually avoided unnecessary use of overly modern electronic devices.

I leaned against the doorframe, taking a minute to do some ruthless ogling. I observed how one of his hands was absently playing with his ruffled blonde hair, and how he creased his forehead as his eyes surveyed the screen. Aside from his computer there was also a large glass in front of him, filled with a muddy red liquid. To me it was a bit ironic that he was so domesticated when it came to things like that; He preferred drinking from a cup to drinking straight from the bag.

"Good morning, honey." I greeted him when I stepped into the room, saying the endearment in a joking tone.

At the ring of my voice he turned in his chair, looking up to stun me with one of his dashing smirks.

"Morning, love. Did you sleep well?" He asked as I made my way to him.

"I did… Mainly thanks to you."

He grinned at me, unspeaking.

"I think I have some good news, by the way… You should know that I'm meeting Elena at the Grill for lunch... She called me this morning. Damon might be willing to turn in the stakes." I shared the latest scoop with him.

"Is he now?" He arched an eyebrow in wonder. "De doppelganger sure does have him in the palm of her hand, doesn't she?"

I shrugged, nodding to confirm that he was right, without using too many words. "So, I'm going to hear her out, to see what exactly it is that she has accomplished..."

My eyes strayed to the screen of his computer, and I pulled back the chair next to him, meaning to sit down as well. However, he didn't give me an opportunity to sit on the piece of furniture... Or to find out what he had been looking at for that matter, because he pulled me into his lap with a fierce yank.

"Nik!" I complained with a growl, my eyes spitting fire at him as I ungraciously smacked down onto his lap.

The devilish smile he sent me didn't help his case. But his blazing blue eyes did... I dreamily gazed into them, until I got sidetracked, my own eyes darting down to his full, pink lips. There was a minor trace of blood right at the corner of his mouth, and being the considerate person that I was, I felt the uncontrollable need to help him get rid of it.

I closed the gap between us, my lips softly caressing the side of his mouth. They lingered there for a good five seconds, and when I separated my lips from his skin, he was regarding me with a wicked smile.

"What did I do to deserve that, sweetheart?" He questioned, a glint in his eyes.

"Nothing. I'm just thirsty…" I said, which was partly true. "And perhaps you also gave me the best night ever after I had gone through a gruesome day… Oh, and did I mention that I secretly fancy it when you mess with my dreams?" I added in a nonchalant tone, stealing one of the outdated words that he sometimes used.

I expected him to laugh, but his smug grin wavered. He became more earnest all of the sudden, his cockiness fading.

"I was simply doing the best I could to return a fragment of the light that my brave, brave girl keeps handing out to me." His words were hushed, but his low voice was solid.

I ridiculed him, making a funny face. The way he kept referring to me as if I were a gift from the heavens was absurd.

"It's my pleasure… Never mind that you're giving me way too much credit here." I breathed against his cheek, leaning in again and gently resting my hands on his shoulders. "You shouldn't sell yourself short though... You keep talking about my light, but I don't mind your dark, Nik. Without the dark, there wouldn't even be any light…"

"Forever the optimist." He mumbled back. "I must be one lucky man… If nothing else, I can at least trust you to look past it, love."

I touched my lips to the edge of his jaw for another agile kiss, but then my curiosity got the best of me. My eyes wandered to the computer screen, which was displaying a sea of color. Wondrous pictures of beaches, palm trees, and brightly lit cities were beaming at me.

"Already making plans?" I verified, half smiling as I looked back at him.

His mouth curled up into a semi-smile that resembled mine. "Yes well… I figured that if I'm going to show you what the world has to offer, I might as well do it thoroughly."

"I'm all for that… And I can already tell that there are going to be plenty of places that I could easily get used to." I admitted as I directed my eyes at the screen again.

"No doubt about it…" He trailed off, his confident tone wavering; Something that was very unlike him.

"Oh great, here we go again… There's a 'but'." I grumbled. "Let's hear it then… Something is bothering you, I'm not an idiot, Nik." I pressed, looking back at him to gauge his reaction.

He groaned in surrender. "But… I wonder how long I'll be able to distract you with blue oceans and breathtaking cities before you will start to miss your home, Caroline."

I exasperatedly rolled my eyes. "We've been over this…"

"Think about it, sweetheart… You're basically frightened that you won't be enough for me, but how about the other way around? You will unequivocally start missing the people who are part of your life here in Mystic Falls. Your mother won't be around forever. Neither will your human friends." He stated the facts, blue eyes solemn.

I shifted in his lap. There was a faint kick in my stomach when he bombarded me with the disturbing yet undeniable truth, but I attempted to get myself together before he would notice my uneasiness.

"I know that… But I told you that I will visit them every now and then. If I had still been human, I would've left for college after graduating, and the situation would've been pretty much the same." I reminded him. "Besides, who says that we have to avoid this place permanently? I mean, I get that the Salvatores don't want you anywhere near Elena right now, if they decide to turn in their weapons, that is… But maybe in a year, or two… After you've given them a chance to cool off… After you've given yourself a chance to cool off…"

He let out a cynical snicker, and his hand lightly patted my knee. "There it is again… That thing I mentioned just now about you forever being the optimist."

"I'm serious!" I wrinkled my nose, feeling a bit offended. "After a few years have passed, during which Elena gets a chance to live her life like a regular person, surely they will put two and two together and see that your priorities have gone elsewhere. And you know what else? Who's to say that Elena is going to stay in this dull town for the rest of her life?"

He mockingly shook his head at my stubbornness.

"There's no fighting your optimism, is there?" He concluded, his eyes less grave now.

"Look, Nik, I'm not saying we're all going to be the best of friends someday… But let's not be overly dramatic either, we can work this out one step at a time."

"Alright… And what would step one be then?" He asked, slipping me a smile to let me know that the worst part of our discussion was over.

"Simple." I answered, locking my arms around his neck, lightly resting my head against his shoulder. "You taking me away on a world tour to give me a much needed break from Mystic Falls. After that, we'll see... I need some time off from thinking about the future... The here and now is already enough of a challenge for me."

"That I can do…" His attractive voice was muffled against my hair. When he exhaled, a rush of warm air tickled the shell of my ear, making me shiver.

"Good." I left another offhand kiss on the side of his neck before I freed myself from his embrace and got up from his lap.

"Off to meet your friend, sweetheart?" He presumed, his gaze following me.

"Yes. And after that I'm going to do some groceries… I promised my mom that I would cook her dinner tonight." I tracked down my phone and keys whilst I told him what was on the agenda for today. "Although it's going to have to be something pretty damn spectacular, if I want to get her in a good enough mood to break the news about our possible rather lengthy, holiday."

"You're a clever girl… You'll figure out a way to tell her."

"And you're accusing me of being overly optimistic!" I protested grumpily.

I bent down to give him a peck on his cheek, suddenly distracted when I spotted the still half full cup of blood from the corner of my eye. Right. Still thirsty. I snatched the glass and downed it under his halfhearted stare.

"Did you just steal my snack, miss Forbes?" He growled, narrowing his playful eyes at me.

"Oh, was that yours? I'm ever so sorry, Mr. Mikaelson…" I feigned innocence. "Wait… No I'm not." I corrected with a smirk, placing the empty cup back on the table and darting in the direction of the door, all the while feeling his burning eyes on me. "See you later, Nik."

-xxx-

"Is it just me, or has it been forever since we did something like this?" Elena rhetorically asked.

We were sitting at a secluded table at the back of the restaurant, waiting for our food to arrive. After some small talk, we were both ready to move on to the more serious issues.

"You read my mind." I instantly agreed. "The not-so-unusual supernatural drama got in the way, I guess..."

Elena smiled wistfully. "The way it always does."

"The way it always does…" I repeated, nodding slowly. "I suppose that's why Elijah was able to convince you to root for peace, am I right?"

Elena thoughtfully tilted her head, one of her hands cupping the side of her neck. "For the most part, yes… But also because I think that you deserve a shot a happiness, Care. You've always been there for me... And as much as I hate the idea of you leaving… With him… I can't help but notice that you've never looked this… Happy. You're practically glowing every time you mention him."

That sure was unexpected. A waitress arrived with our food, and luckily the distraction covered up my astonishment.

"Enjoy your meal." The young girl said dutifully as she placed our chicken salads on the table.

We both nodded politely, and at that the girl took off.

"Thank you." I said with sincerity once our server was gone, warmly smiling at Elena. "Thanks for respecting my decision… Because I can totally understand that my attraction to him is impossible to comprehend for you."

"I wouldn't say that…" Elena disagreed, briefly casting her eyes down at her plate. "I know that Damon has done some pretty nasty things to you… To a lot of people, actually. And Stefan… He too has done so many disturbing things... But that doesn't stop me from caring about both of them." Near the end of her declaration, the volume of her voice had dropped significantly.

A shallow laugh left my mouth. "Yeah, I guess it's safe to say that love really doesn't make any sense…"

She quietly laughed along. "No sense whatsoever. There's never a reasonable explanation when it comes to emotions…"

"Nope…" I muttered, popping the P. "Although I was sort of surprised that Elijah succeeded at talking you into getting Damon to reconsider Klaus' offer." I confessed.

Elena shrugged as she studied the piece of chicken that she had mercilessly staked with her fork. "Elijah told me that he believes that Klaus truly means what he says. That he does love you… And even knowing that the relationship between Klaus and Elijah is complicated, I know that Elijah cares about his brother… Family means everything to him, and he knows his brother... So, if Elijah is convinced that Klaus is willing to call a truce… I believe him. He's a man of his word... I don't think that he would betray me, not like this."

"I think he means it, too… Klaus, I mean." I hesitantly went along with her theory, for the first time paying real attention to my own -still untouched- chicken salad. "Irrational as it may seem, I think he loves me... Why else would he bother to go through all this trouble? Or to get in touch with his humanity…"

"He'd better mean it." Elena replied curtly as she spoke about Klaus. "You don't deserve to have your heart broken again, especially not by him… Not after you've put all your trust in him."

"He won't let me down." I said with confidence. "I know he won't, Elena."

"And I hope you're right, I really do. You're willing to sacrifice your entire life for him... Leave everything behind, if that's what it takes to be with him…" Elena mused, leaning back in her chair as she gave up on finishing her salad.

"Which won't happen in the first place as long as there are still several white oak stakes out there..." I broached the topic that had been the reason behind this lunch date to begin with. "So tell me, what new list of terms and conditions did Damon come up with this time?" I examined in a no-nonsense way.

"So far, nothing in particular. I guess he just wants what's best for me, and I suspect that I did a pretty great job at making him see that a long pause from all the mayhem is what I really need…" Elena elucidated. "And to be honest, I would feel so much better knowing that Damon isn't constantly getting himself into trouble by plotting against the Originals… Unavoidably dragging along Stefan whenever he happens to come up with a new scheme."

"Well, kudos to you. I didn't think that Damon would ever even consider changing his mind." I praised her.

"I may or may not have subtly brought up that he has changed quite a bit himself, ever since he came back to Mystic Falls last year… If anyone can't deny that love does things to a person, it has to be Damon. He learned that the hard way." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah well, whatever it is you did… I'm glad you did it." I thanked her again. "Let's just pray that Damon will go through with it."

"Give it a day... Right now he's probably weighing pros and cons, discussing it with Stefan... Plus, knowing Damon, he might need some time to swallow some of his pride." Elena rolled her eyes as she added that last part.

"True…" I snorted, pushing my plate away, also giving up on my food. "Guess we'll just have to wait and see if he'll be able to get his ego out of the way…"

We exchanged a moderate smile. For the time being, Elena's fairly hopeful approach succeeded at making me feel a faint wave of relief. However, it vanished rapidly when the impending conversation with my mom crept back into my thoughts…

Boy, she was going to flip. Excessively.


	41. Breakaway

"What?" My mom exclaimed, nearly choking on a bite of homemade lasagna. "You can't possibly be serious, Caroline! Please tell me you're joking…"

I sighed; This was what could've been expected.

"I do mean it, mom. Please don't freak out… I love you… And I will always be one phone call away, no matter what. If you ever need me, all you have to do is give me a call, and I'll come straight back home…"

She was glowering at me from her side of the kitchen table. I had told her everything. Every little disturbing detail. I had told her the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. If I hadn't, I merely would've been fooling myself. I knew that procrastinating was only going to make it more complicated…

"So that's it? You're just going to leave with him? You're just going to quit school, give up your life?" My mother demanded, her worn out face disconcerted.

"I'm not giving up my life, mom…" I countered. "I think this might be where my life begins."

"By sacrificing everything for this one man?" She shot back.

"One man who means the world to me, mom." I answered unyieldingly. "And I'm not giving up anything. I will stay in touch with you. And with my friends. I will finish school… It's just that now, I can do it at my own pace."

"But don't you agree that you at least should give it some thought before you rush off with him?" She argued while she attempted to sway me with nothing but a firm scowl.

"Trust me, I've given it a ridiculous amount of thought... As you may recall, I kind of had a rough year… And the truth is that I'm immortal now… I desperately need a break from everyday life, and from pretending to be something that I'm not. Not anymore… I'm not the average, cheery teenager that I used to be, mom." I tried to open up her eyes, hoping to get her to see things from my perspective.

"Oh honey… I know you've changed, and I'm not even ashamed to say that you've changed for the better, ever since you became a vampire… But this is as very reckless decision, Caroline." She said agitatedly.

Our tasty Italian meal was long forgotten, and we were intently gazing at each other across the table.

"Knowing that you have an eternity in front of you drastically changes a person's point of view." I calmly responded. "I remember what Nik told me, the night he first saved my life… That immortality means that you're free, no longer bound by trivial human conventions… And honestly, back then I simply dismissed it as him talking nonsense… But right now, I'm beginning to understand what he meant by that..."

My mother dropped both her hands to the table with a loud smack to express some of her frustrations. "I don't even know what you want me to say to that, Caroline."

There was a heaviness in the air as we regarded each other, not blinking, not talking. My mom's piercing grey eyes were upset, but above all concerned. In the end, I took the initiative to put an end to the silence.

"You don't have to say anything… I know what I want. I've made up my mind, mom. You were the one telling me that it was alright to think about myself, every once in a while... I need to do this, not just for him, but for me. Truth be told, I don't truly mind leaving this town for a while… And he made me realize that I actually want to see the world."

My mother's glistening eyes were glued to mine. She produced a noisy breath, looking slightly defeated. "There's no way that I'll be able to stop you, is that right, sweetie?" She asked, a tremor in her voice.

"No mom… Please, don't make this hard on me." I all but begged in a whisper.

Of course I could always trust my particularly chipper ringtone to mess with me at a moment like this. I winced, bewilderedly glancing around the kitchen, realizing that I'd left my phone on the kitchen sink while I'd been busy cooking.

"I have to take this." I excused myself, hastily getting up to grab the noisy little device from the sink.

'Klaus calling', those two words never failed to make me skip a breath or two.

"Hey Nik… What's going on?" I asked, not bothering with any chitchat; By now I knew that he usually had an actual reason for calling.

My mom was pursing her lips at me as she began to clear the table; She was well aware that we both had lost our appetite by now.

"Hello, sweetheart… What's going on, you ask? Nothing out of the ordinary…" He replied casually. "Just having some fun with my brothers and sister…"

"What?" I asked dazedly, perplexed that he was uncharacteristically beating about the bush.

I watched how my mom started the dishes, discretely keeping her eyes on the task at hand as she listened to my conversation with Klaus.

"Oh, you know… Telling stories, building bonfires… Burning white oak stakes." He said offhandedly.

"Wait, what?" I asked again, my voice automatically raising as my brain registered his exact words. "Are you saying that…" I was too baffled to even form a coherent sentence.

"Stefan Salvatore was here… He brought me a bag, containing twelve stakes." He explained himself. "Apparently Damon Salvatore wasn't too keen on coming along, but he did pass on a message…"

"You're serious? They handed over the stakes? Wait… What was the message?" I probed, glancing sideways at my mom, who was still completely focused on the sticky plates that she was scrubbing.

"I'm strongly opposed to confronting you with such language, love. But I'll give you the censored version; It included numerous empty threats as to what he would do to me if I ever plan to go anywhere near Elena Gilbert again." He said, a tad smug, seeing as it were in fact useless threats now.

"But… You're going to keep your side of the bargain, aren't you?" I had to make sure.

"Oh come on, please don't insult me! I'm nothing if not a man of my word. If anyone knows that, it's you, sweetheart."

"And you're positive that there were only twelve stakes?" I verified unsurely.

"I suppose we'll have to take their word for that… Then again, a very perceptive young girl once told me that sometimes, you have to trust people."

Oh my… I had created a monster; He was holding my own words against me now.

"You're going to take the advice that was given to you by an eighteen year old, blonde small town girl?" I mocked him.

"As a matter of fact, I am. The Salvatores and I made a pact, and as long as I'm staying away from the doppelganger, I trust that they will honor that deal."

"Figures…" I uttered, still astounded. "So… Does that mean that I should start packing?" I dryly checked, noting how my mom was shifting her weight, even though she didn't show any other signs to communicate that she had recently heard something deeply unsettling.

"No need to hurry, love. Take your time. I'm sure your friends will be as kind as to understand that you have things to wrap up here before you leave. And if not, I could always make them understand." He chuckled quietly at his own suggestion.

"You can afford to be cocky now, huh Nik?" I taunted, chuckling as well.

"You caught me." He deadpanned. "But all things aside, I should stop bothering you, love. I believe this evening was supposed to be about you spending time with your mother."

"Right, yes…" I responded hazily, my thoughts a bit jumbled due to all the mind blowing information that he had just bestowed on me. "Thank you… For letting me know. I'll see you later."

"Yes, you will. You enjoy your evening, love."

I hung up, and for the first time my mom looked me in the eye. I sighed as I leaned against the sink, sending her a sympathetic look.

"Want to tell me what that was all about?" She asked, even though I could sense that she knew precisely what was coming.

I forced myself to smile at her, as if it would make the blow any less devastating. "I think I'm finally going to see other parts of the world, mom." My answer was quiet yet full of undivided conviction. "Other parts than Mystic Falls…"

-xxx-

Two weeks later…

Elena, Bonnie and I were out on my back porch. My two best friends and I were tangled in a tight group hug; Something we rarely ever did nowadays. We'd all been forced to become adults before our time, which had resulted in us acting as such… For the majority of the time anyway. However, this was an exception. I firmly clung to my girlfriends as I blankly stared out into my own backyard over their shoulders. Most of the mess from the party that had taken place there was cleaned up, thanks to the help of the two girls that were currently embracing me.

I had been genuinely surprised when I'd come home from spending the afternoon at Nik's place, walking straight into the 'Goodbye Caroline party' that my friends had thrown me, but I had to admit that I appreciated the gesture.

"You have to promise that you won't forget about us." Elena said once the three of us parted.

"We expect lots of phone calls, emails and visits." Bonnie backed her up, giving me a stern stare.

"I promise, you guys!" I replied, smiling widely. "Seriously, you won't get rid of me that easily."

"Good." Bonnie said. "A man is never a good excuse to abandon your girlfriends." She cautioned jokingly.

"And have a safe trip to… Wherever it is you're going tomorrow." Elena added.

I laughed sourly. "Thanks... Frankly, I'm dying to find out myself, but he insists on keeping it a secret."

They both gave me a kiss on the cheek as we said our final goodbyes, and I couldn't banish the small lump that was forming in my throat. My life was about to turn around to an extreme degree, and although I was ready for it, the huge change was going to take some getting used to.

Bonnie and Elena both smiled back at me one last time before they disappeared around the corner of the house. As soon as they were gone, I let myself sink down onto the porch steps with a loud breath, replaying this night in my head…

My girls hadn't done things halfway; They had invited half the town, including all of my classmates and other acquaintances. And of course my closest friends… Naturally, Matt had been there, as well as Stefan. Damon had been sort of a surprise, but something told me that whenever there was a party that included alcohol -and even more important Elena- he was always eager to attend.

Unarguably the biggest shocker had been the fact that even Tyler had made a brief appearance... And despite the awkwardness that had hung between the two of us when he had reluctantly told me goodbye and wished me good luck, I was grateful that I had gotten some sort of closure in the Tyler-department.

All in all, I'd had a very touching but wonderful night… Although it had been a bit peculiar; Saying goodbye to everyone without Klaus being there… Klaus, who was the very reason behind me leaving to begin with. Not like it truly mattered… After all, I was about to spend an unlimited amount of time with him, starting tomorrow. Knowing him, he had probably already known about the get-together that my friends had planned for me, but he had respected my last evening in Mystic Falls by staying away.

I stared down at my shoes, pushing most of my thoughts from my mind, instead distracting myself by going through a mental list of things that I would still have to pack before I left. I was ninety percent done packing, but there were always some last-minute necessities that were easy to forget.

I was dragged out of my musings when I heard the snapping of a twig, accompanied by the sound of footsteps. My head flew up, my face breaking into a smile when I observed how he slowly crossed the backyard, casually walking up to me. His features were neutral, but his eyes brightened as he noticed my response to his arrival.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight, sweetheart?" He asked, holding out his hand to me when he was standing right in front of me.

I grinned up at him, placing my hand in his. "I did… I really am going to miss them. All of them."

He pulled me up and into his strong arms. I instinctively snuggled against his chest, inhaling the familiar, alluring scent that made me feel at home.

"It's never too late to change your mind, love. I may be done with Mystic Falls for now, but if you want to stay here, I will wait for you." He murmured into my ear.

"Not a chance." I whispered against the grey fabric of his sweater. "You may be a patient man, Nik, but I'm a very impatient girl."

"Is that so? I never noticed." He sarcastically replied, the hint of a smile in his voice.

I peeked up at him, squinting my eyes. "You'd better learn to deal with that, because from now on, you're pretty much stuck with me."

"Which I don't mind in the slightest, sweetheart." He said huskily, his blue eyes sincere.

The moment passed when all of the sudden, I heard the screeching sound that implied that someone was opening the backdoor. Not long after, my mother's voice filled my ears.

"Caroline honey, are you done cleaning up? Because I think you forgot to pack your…" She stopped right there.

My head whipped around, and I saw her standing in the doorway, her lips forming a large 'O' as she discovered Klaus. I tentatively let go of him, but he did keep one of his hands on the small of my back as I turned to face my mom.

"Oh… Never mind, it can wait." She said brusquely, about to go right back inside.

During the two weeks that had gone by, the subject of Klaus had been a touchy topic. After countless arguments between my mom and I, she had reluctantly accepted the fact that I was running off with him, but she highly preferred for me to keep him out of most conversations. She was going with the 'ignorance is bliss' philosophy by practically denying his existence, and so far it had worked out fine for her…

Which is why she froze when he suddenly addressed her…

"Wait, Sheriff Forbes…"

She discretely tried to hide how she was flinching as her name left his lips, but I saw right through her.

"I can see that my word means little to you, but let's get one thing straight here... I will take care of your daughter. I will keep her safe, not matter what." He vowed earnestly.

She turned around, unwillingly looking him in the eye and grimacing at him.

"No harm will ever come to her whilst she's under my protection, I guarantee you that." He added, his elegant fingers tenderly caressing my back as he made his announcement.

Her glare at him never softened, but at least he earned himself a verbal reply from her after a long, unnerving silence…

"Good… Because I want to get one thing straight as well... Hurt my daughter, and it will be the last crime you ever commit." She was bravely threatening an indestructible Original just to look out for me.

"He won't, mom. Nik will look after me…"

It was my intention to both put my mom's mind at ease, and at the same time support the man that I loved. Mind you, it was a difficult line to walk.

She sighed, sending him a long, cynical we'll-see-about-that look before she briefly shook her head and stalked back inside without another word.

"Great." I muttered when the door slammed shut. "She probably won't ever trust you with me."

I moved in his arms so that we were face to face again, my hands lightly holding on to his shirt.

"And that's a good thing. She shouldn't. No one should." He bluntly said.

The harsh statement was a giant contradiction to his smoldering blue eyes.

"Maybe… But that doesn't stop me from doing it anyway." I went against his own self-mockery. "And even though you can't see it yourself, you have a lot to give. You're already giving me so much."

I stood on my tiptoes, softly pressing a kiss against his unmoving lips, pretending not to notice his confounded stare.

"You must be truly convinced of that, considering that you're not afraid to take this immense leap of faith." His words were muted against my lips.

"I am. I said I would stay with you forever, Nik." I refreshed his memory, my lips skimming against his as I spoke. "We'll figure out the rest one day at a time…"

Suddenly, a drop of ice cold water landed on my nose. I creased my forehead, silently cursing the fact that the rain was making an unwelcome appearance at an intimate moment like this. Thankfully, he was a genius when it came to diverting my attention… This particular time, he did so by murmuring one simple phrase. The bright lively eyes that I loved were wide and sincere as he whispered five words in that irresistible voice of his.

"I love you, my Caroline."

My dead heart swelled, and my skin was tingling all over. The rain was getting heavier, but I barely noticed that it was slowly soaking us. I grinned against his lips.

"Ditto."

His mouth curved up into a smile as well, and my hands traveled up his chest, moving further to his messy hair. My fingers secured themselves in the dripping strands pulling him to me so I could kiss him fervently. His arms held me tighter as our lips moved together in the most perfect manner possible.

The rain washed away my last doubts. I knew that I had made the right decision. I knew that I had given my heart to the right man. A man who deserved to be loved after centuries of loneliness. A man whom I trusted was fully capable of offering me my own, albeit uncommon, version of happily ever after…


	42. Epilogue: Happy Birthday, Caroline

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last part of 'The Thing Between Love and Hate'. Thank you for reading. :)

'Hawaii, Two Years Later…'

A spotless blue sky. The sound of waves crashing to a beautiful, deserted beach. The sight of the ocean… A couple of birds lazily flying over our heads. The white dunes. The occasional patch of grass, swaying in the subtle breeze... His arms, loosely wrapped around me as we were both sitting on the warm sand, gazing at the sparkling sea as we soaked up the sun…

Wait… Does this sound familiar?

I would be the first to admit that aforementioned scenario sounded like a cheesy dream. And, once upon a time, that was exactly what it had been; A dream, given to a girl by a heartless monster. Mind you, the girl hadn't been an ordinary girl, but a vampire. As for the monster; He had turned out to be so much more than the soulless creature that everyone had believed him to be.

Needless to say, he still had his moments… Even though he worshipped the ground I walked on, it was safe to say that he was never going to be a 'people-person'. Unless it was to have them for dinner. Or lunch. Maybe breakfast. Alright, I'm exaggerating now. Except for a few tiny incidents, he was doing rather well...

Of course there had been this one time, when he had butchered this creepy older guy who had yelled a very inappropriate remark at me while we'd been strolling the streets of London on a rainy evening… But if you asked me, he'd had it coming. Besides, said guy had caught my short-tempered Original at a thirsty time; Something that inevitably made him cranky.

Or that waitress in Venice, who had tried to flirt with him at that restaurant, and who had thrown some sort of insult at me in Italian when he had told her that he wasn't at all interested because he was already taken… I wasn't quite sure what had happened to her, but when we'd walked past the restaurant the next day, there had been an announcement on the door, saying that they were in desperate need of a new employee…

Regardless, aside from some dark glares and short-lived cold silences from my side, I usually tried to cut him some slack whenever he slipped up. After all, I knew what I'd signed up for; This man was never going to be a saint, and I'd learned to accept that. For now, I made do with the fact that he was on his best behavior most of the time…

"You're exceptionally quiet, sweetheart." His serene voice ended my pondering.

"Hmm, just enjoying the view." I replied, contentedly snuggling closer to him.

"Good… The last thing I want is for you to brood on your special day." He murmured, dropping a light kiss on my temple.

I rolled my eyes without really looking at him. "I still don't get why you always have to make such a big deal out of birthdays."

I felt him shrug beside me. "Your birthday is a big deal. I can't even stand the thought of you never being born, Caroline."

I snickered as I glanced to the side, finding that he was regarding me with an earnest look. "Now you're just being dramatic, Nik. But fine, if it truly is that important, will you finally give me my present? Or are you going to make me wait even longer?" I reminded him that he had yet to give me the present that he had brought up this morning during breakfast.

"Yes, I will." He gave in surprisingly fast. "Actually, I have two."

"You do?" I asked, sitting straighter in anticipation.

He had my full attention now, since I recognized a flicker of his own excitement in his light blue eyes.

He grinned as he reached behind us where his jacket was lying, searching the pockets. "I predict that you're going to love the first present. It has something to do with our next destination. We're leaving tomorrow…" He mysteriously said as he handed me a small envelope. "Go ahead."

I knitted my eyebrows together as I opened it, wondering where he was going to take me this time. Although I had to confess that, after already seeing so many amazing places, I sort of trusted his judgment and just went with it... However, when I pulled two tickets out of the envelope, I was sincerely stunned for the first time in nearly two years.

"Virginia? Seriously, Nik? We're going home?" I exclaimed, flashing him the biggest smile imaginable.

The smile around his own lips was reserved, but genuine. "I assumed that your mother probably wants to wish you a happy birthday as well, sweetheart. Especially after missing your last one... We'll be staying for several weeks, so perhaps you'd like to arrange a little get-together with your friends, do some catching up..."

I threw my arms around him, holding him in a grasp so tight that it would've suffocated him if he had been human.

"Thank you." I mumbled as I buried my head against his neck. "You couldn't have given me a better present, Nik."

And I meant it. Ever since I'd left Mystic Falls, I had stayed in touch with my mother and friends through numerous phone calls and emails, but naturally, that wasn't quite the same as speaking to them in person.

"My pleasure, love. I was fairly certain that you were going to appreciate this present…" He trailed off suggestively.

His odd tone made that I released him, so that I could examine his face. "Okay… Should I worry about the second one?" I investigated cautiously.

"Maybe… Or maybe I should." He uttered under his breath, scratching the back of his head.

Was he… Nervous? Was the big bad Original hybrid showing signs of… Insecurity?

"Alright… You're starting to weird me out, Nik. Even more so than usual." I said dryly, hoping that a joke would take some of the heaviness out of the air. "This really doesn't sound like you."

He cleared his throat, his lips forming a thin line as he reached back to pull another small object out of the pocket of his jacket.

"You're spot on, love. This isn't like me, that's precisely the point." He said cryptically as he placed a velvety, night-blue box in my hands.

I frowned as he waited for me to open it, his face displaying too many different emotions for me to actually read any of it. That's why I humored him, focusing on my gift as I hesitantly opened it... My gasp when a gorgeous -and unmistakably expensive- ring was revealed, may have been embarrassingly loud.

"Nik… Are you… Saying…" I stuttered.

He cut off my sputtering. "Don't say a word, love… Look, I must be out of my mind… And I never expected that I would ever sink this low… It's just that I can't help it that I'm a bit old fashioned, and I figured that if I ever wanted to propose to anyone… This would be the moment."

I gawked at him, slack jawed.

"Let me make this clear, I'm not expecting you to say yes right away. Or to marry me within now and three days…" He clarified, seeing as there was a serious lack of response from my side. "I guess that the message that I want this ring to give out, is that if you would ever commit yourself to someone in that way... Whether it is in a year, or a decade, or a century… That I would be the one."

Of all the times that he had left me speechless, this was the most severe case. Not in the last place because after two years, he still had insecurities when it came to my feelings for him. His eyes held mine as I tried to come up with some words. Any words. But I failed to produce a single syllable.

"You know what, forget I said anything." He groaned, his hand reaching for the little box that I was rigidly clasping between my hands. "This was a bad idea."

"No!" I blurted out, holding his present to my chest before he could snatch it. "No, it's not."

His hand froze in midair, and his blue eyes went wider.

"It goes without saying that you would be the one, Nik… You'll always be the one. I've told you over, and over, and over…" I gravely said, keeping my eyes fixed on his.

I rested one of my hands against the side of his face, my thumb caressing his cheek as I gave him a reassuring smile. "Now, I agree that three days would be a bit soon... On the other hand, a decade would be sort of long in my opinion... But maybe next year around my birthday…" I meaningfully raised my eyebrows at him.

He was never one for throwing around his emotions, but a broad smile slowly took over his face, touching his stunning eyes. "Was that a yes, Miss Forbes?"

I smirked teasingly, before I answered him by indiscreetly copying the rather extraordinary way in which he had proposed to me. "Look, I must be out of my mind… And I never expected that I would ever sink this low… But if I would ever say yes to a man's proposal… This would be the moment."

He faintly glared at me as I shamelessly made fun of him while pulling him out of his misery, but the glare disappeared soon enough when I leaned in to press a soft kiss against his lips.

"I want to be stuck with you forever, Nik. Why would I object to making it official?" I whispered as I pulled back again.

He had traded his glare for an euphoric smile as he took the box from me, taking the ring in one hand, and my left hand in his other.

"May I?" He asked, holding up the shimmery piece of jewelry, a smug glint in his eyes.

I snorted as I gave him my permission. "You may."

I was taken aback by the strange kind of excitement that I felt as he put the ring around my finger. I gazed down at my hand, where the elegant line of diamonds twinkled in the sun. I couldn't keep myself from smiling like a downright maniac when I glanced up at him again.

He was smiling as well, all dimples. "So, I take it you like this present almost as much as the first one?"

"Maybe even more." I confessed. "In fact, I think this is the best birthday present you've given me so far…"

My voice faded near the end of my statement, seeing as that wasn't exactly true… I briefly thought back to the birthday that I'd had two years ago… The birthday that would've been my very last one, had it not been for his blood saving me. He could've let me die so easily… But instead he had offered me a thousand more birthdays, even though he hadn't truly cared about me back then.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" He asked, placing a finger under my chin, gently demanding eye contact.

"I'm fine… Just thinking about that other birthday, two years ago…" I blabbed out.

"Ah yes… That was quite the birthday…" His tone was calm and steady, but his eyes darkened as he too remembered that particular event.

"Yes… It's crazy, compared to the current state of things." I mumbled. "But that's behind us… And looking back, I don't think that I would change a thing." I continued thoughtfully.

"Neither would I, love." He agreed with fervent sincerity. "Every day I thank myself for visiting you that night."

"So do I…" I said softly, peeking up into his now tender blue eyes.

That was the moment he unexpectedly took me into his arms, pulling me flush against his chest and holding me in a firm grip. "From now on, I will see to it that all of your birthdays are going to be spectacular. Starting with this one…"

I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of his warm embrace. "Thank you…"

"Anytime…" He murmured, his lips brushing my forehead. "Happy Birthday, Caroline..."

-xxx-

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, more chapters will be up soon. :)


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